


Loose Lips Sink Ships

by BadLuckBlueEyes



Category: Black Sails
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Non Treasure Island Compliant, happy endings in this house only, mute silver, this fanfiction does not support billy bones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 16:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19360834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadLuckBlueEyes/pseuds/BadLuckBlueEyes
Summary: Rewrite of season four, we do not believe in the Treasure Island canon here.After waking up from a near-death experience and losing another part of himself, Silver goes on a revenge quest to kill his attacker, Billy Bones. Along the way, he finds out that Flint's in love with him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy the art by @Beanarie and for the full experience of being in my head while writing this, just play Sunlight by Hozier on loop while reading.

 

The first thing Silver’s aware of is the pain in his throat. It aches and burns, but itches for water. Silver groans and shifts slightly, one hand half heartedly floating towards his neck, but soft hands pull it away. 

“It would be better if you didn’t,” a voice murmurs, the words sliding into Silver’s ear, instantly soothing. The voice speaks again. “Just rest. I’ll be here.”

Time passes. He sleeps. 

The next time he wakes up, he finds he has the energy to open his eyes. The view is nothing exciting, but the thatched roof tells him he’s back on Maroon Island. Odd, given they were just in Nassau. Silver’s not quite sure how to bridge the gap.

His throat still hurts. The pain of it had seeped into his sleep, and Silver’s been dreaming of nooses pulled tight around his neck, choking the air from his lungs until he can no longer breathe. Silver’s glad to be breathing still, through all that this life he’s chosen has put him through, from his leg to fuzzy memories that are beginning to emerge, of some sort of attack. Whatever had happened must be why his throat still hurts.  

Silver glances around, breathing deeply through his nose. It’s satisfying, bringing clarity as he wakes up just a little bit more. His gaze lands on Flint, who sits at the end of his bed with a book in hand. The air rushes back out as Silver exhales, lifting his head just slightly to look at his captain.

He gasps involuntarily as pain shoots through his neck and suddenly Flint is looking up, a concerned gaze sweeping over Silver. Silver lets his head fall back down. Flint appears over him, standing in his field of vision, taking him in. 

“You’re awake,” Flint observes, then he ducks his head, avoiding looking at him. He seems to be weighing his words, mumbling something to himself. Silver’s not lucid enough to pay full attention, so he just waits, curious. 

“I would be remiss,” The captain begins, a sigh escaping as he carefully finds his footing, “If I did not properly express my affections for you.”

Silver raises one eyebrow. He hadn’t expected to wake up to a declaration of love, but he’s not complaining. He’s also not fully sure what’s going on yet. He desperately hopes this is real.

“Ca-” the word has only just started to fall out of his mouth, barely audible, when Silver finds he cannot talk through the pain. Flint’s face morphs into one of concern. 

He sits up, squeezing his eyes shut against the wave of pain and lightheadedness that threatens to overwhelm him. He opens his eyes, reaching out to grasp Flint’s arm for balance. His other hand flies to his throat, finding bandages in the way. He lets go of Flint’s arm, putting his other hand on his neck.

Flint must see the panic on his face, because he locks eyes with him and places his hands on Silver’s shoulders, bringing them face to face.

“Fl-” Silver tries again, but he can barely hear his own voice and his throat screams in protest. He shuts his mouth and looks up at Flint, desperate and suddenly very, very afraid. Why can’t he talk? Why aren’t they on Nassau? 

“Calm down. You’re okay.” Flint assures him. Silver nods once, jerkily, the bob of his head sending another wave of pain crashing through his neck. He can’t think. Something’s wrong. He hasn’t heard that tone in Flint’s voice since the last time he woke up feeling like this.

The last time that had happened, his leg was gone.

Flint is looking down at him, hovering over the bed. As he starts to pull away, Silver reaches out and clutches one of Flint’s hands in both of his own, clinging to it like a lifeline. He’s exhausted suddenly and he yawns, which hurts too. His eyelids start to droop against his will and Flint helps him lay back down, touch gentle. 

“Sleep,” Flint tells him. “I will be here when you wake.” 

He wants to stay awake, to ask all of the questions brimming in his mind, but he’s asleep again before he can fight it. 

Flint, true to his word, is there when Silver wakes again. The sun has disappeared, so he assumes that night has fallen. He takes a deep breath and lifts his head to see Flint sitting at the end of the bed again, reading. The man is absorbed in the book, and he only glances at Silver when he goes to turn the page. When he sees that Silver is awake, the book snaps shut and Flint is standing, dragging his seat over to sit next to him. 

“Does your throat hurt?” He asks. Silver shakes his head a little. It does, but it’s improved since he last woke. Even the motion of shaking his head hurts less, though he does wince at the sting. If he’s on Maroon Island, that means he’s already been enough of a burden on them. He won’t push it. 

Flint doesn’t like his answer and he takes a long look at Silver’s face, but doesn’t comment.

“Do you remember what happened?” Flint asks quietly, the anger that makes him legendary cooling his tone. Silver thinks about it, and realizes that he does not. He thinks back, to the last thing he can remember. They had boarded the Walrus, to consult Flint’s maps. Maybe. They were on the ship, he’s sure. 

Flint must be able to tell by his expression that he doesn’t and leans forward, murder in his eyes.

“Billy Bones slit your throat.”

Silver feels the blood drains from his face and he is filled with sudden warmth as rage floods through him. He is wide awake, and he looks around wildly as he tries to figure out what to do next. He sits up, but he is alone with Flint. 

He wants to scream. But he’s not sure anything will come out.

“He’s not here,” Flint cuts in, pushing Silver back into bed. He hadn’t realized he’d nearly gotten out of it. All of his thoughts had been concentrated on Billy. Silver blinks and focuses entirely on the man in front of him. 

“We think he’s somewhere on Nassau,” Flint continues. “We brought you here to recover. He’s not here.”

The rage begins to simmer down, and for the first time in weeks, Silver starts to form a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Howell comes to visit a few minutes later, after Flint retrieves him. Howell is the one who tells him about his voice as he peels back the bandages. Silver cannot see this wound, and he’s thankful, honestly. He’d spent days looking at his leg, willing it to grow back. He finds that he doesn’t have the energy to seek a mirror.

“If you can’t talk, I wouldn’t keep trying,” Howell declares. “Billy did something when he attacked you. He must have cut something important.”

“It’s not coming back?” Flint asks.

“It might,” Howell shrugs and doesn’t bother to re-bandage his throat. “I don’t know. It’s going to be one helluva scar, though.”

Silver reaches for his neck, gently finding the spot where Billy had attacked him. He bites his lip and exhales, fingers tracing the fresh, delicate scar tissue that runs in a neat line across the base of his throat. He’s surprised by the lack of stitches. His hand jerks away and he looks at Flint, eyes wide.

How long had he slept?

Flint meets his gaze, and breaks it to look back at the doctor.

“That’ll be all, thank you,” Flint dismisses Howell, who gets the message and departs quickly.

Silver eyes Flint, nervous.

“It’s been almost two weeks.”

Silver goes rigid, trying to imagine everything he’s missed.

“You haven’t missed much,” Flint rushes to assure him. “The focus has mostly been on you.”

That’s not what Silver wants to hear. He glares at Flint. They’re fighting a war. They’re fighting a war that he, frankly, wants no part of. A war that’s threatening to consume everyone that he loves. A war that he is somehow central to, thanks to Billy’s hard work.

A war that ground to a halt for him.

“Things went back to normal once we were reasonably sure you would be waking up again.” Flint says, somewhat helpfully.

“ _Madi?_ ” He tries to ask. His throat aches with the effort and he squeezes his eyes shut as he bears the pain of it, but he doesn’t hear any sound come out.   

When he opens his eyes a moment later, Flint is looking at him in concern.

“Are you going to keep disobeying the doctor?”

Silver sighs and shrugs. There’s no point.

“I admire that stubbornness,” Flint admits. “It’s done a hell of a job keeping you alive.”

Silver just rolls his eyes. He feels hollow. He’d only joined the crew to get rich. Now his leg is gone, people are out to kill him, and he can’t _fucking talk_ anymore. Words are the only thing that have gotten him this far, and he’s lost without them. Like he’s climbed into a lifeboat that’s been set adrift, and he’s not sure he’s ever going to find land again. There’s not much reason to keep him around at this point. Not if he can’t talk to his men.

A thought starts to worm its way into his head, that his men are going to revere him now. The idea bothers him more than he’d like to admit, and he forces himself to focus back on Flint.

 _Madi?_ He asks again, mouthing the word. It’s strange, he thinks, as his mouth curls around the name. He’s not sure how anyone is going to understand him.

Voice or no voice, it seems that Flint’s keeping up. For now.

“She left for Nassau a few days ago. There was discussion to free another plantation and she wanted to be present,” Flint tells him. “She took the Walrus and most of the crew.”

Silver’s worn out, despite the short amount of time he’s been awake. He yawns, but looks hard at Flint. He points to the captain and mouths _why are you_ , then pointing to the ground, mouths _here?_

“Why am I here?” Flint repeats. Silver nods. A number of emotions cross Flint’s face as he considers the question.

“I couldn’t bear to be apart from your side,” He confesses, a little awkwardly. “I’d rather not describe how it felt, thinking I had watched the only other person who knew me completely dying because of me, that your prophecy had come to light after you so seamlessly insinuated yourself into my narrative.”

Silver waits, getting the sense that there’s more. Flint looks at him, then to the ground.

“Of course, you never stopped breathing. We sailed here immediately so Madi could be with you too, no matter what happened. But the next plantation was preparing to revolt and they asked for our assistance. One of us had to go, and seeing as we’ve had no way of knowing when you would wake up, Madi went. She wasn’t happy about it.”

Silver glances around the room while Flint talks, and his gaze lands on the desk a few feet away. He brightens. Flint follows his gaze and stands.

“Ah,” He murmurs. “I imagine that would help.”

Silver grabs Flint’s hand before he can walk away. Flint looks down at Silver, who gestures to his leg.

“Leg or crutch?” Flint asks. Silver shrugs. None of his men are here to see him. Flint reaches past him and Silver realizes that his leg and a crutch have both been placed at the head of the bed, against the wall, waiting for him.

Silver bats Flint’s hand away once he realizes he can get up himself, and he grabs the crutch, leaning on it heavily as he levers himself upright. It takes some effort and spots flicker around the edges of his vision. Flint stands nearby, ready to help, but Silver ignores him and makes his way to the desk, where he pulls out the chair and carefully sits down.

The trip across the room is not long, but sweat beads across his forehead as he moves. His whole body feels like he’s wearing lead weights, and he wants nothing more than to go back to bed and sleep.

But there’s a stack of papers in front of him, and Silver has some thoughts he needs to express before he can sleep again. He finds a pencil and starts writing.

 _My affections for both you and Madi run very deep_ . He writes first. He adds a quick _I do not wish to spend my days without you either_ , and hands the paper to Flint. He doesn’t see how Flint reacts, he’s too busy writing down an idea that’s been formulating since he woke up. There’s no transition between subject matter, he’s in a rush and it’s not worth the effort.

_I told you once that I never wanted to be a pirate. I cannot continue to give myself to this cause when it has taken so much from me and continues to do so._

He hadn’t wanted a war to begin with. He hadn’t wanted to commit to a cause where the lost lives of his friends were measured against the grand scheme of things. He hadn’t wanted to entertain the notion that he’d be one of them, and now he is one of them, but he’s still somehow come out on the other side. He hadn’t wanted to lose Flint or Madi, and he still fears that he might.

He’s angry. He’s furious, frankly. Silver had thought that he and Billy were friends. Or allies, at the very least. He’d thought they’d had an understanding. He’s beginning to wonder if he can trust anyone anymore. He wants to trust Flint. The man had confessed his love to him as soon as Silver had opened his eyes. But Flint had loved Thomas and Miranda, and that hadn’t changed their fates. Flint’s love is dangerous. He wants it, he craves the captain’s affection and approval. He just doesn’t want it to kill him too.

Silver has to end his role in the war. He needs to rest. His time at sea has aged him and he feels as though he has been trapped in the crew for an eternity. In reality, it’s been less than a year. He wants to run, if only he had the energy to. He hates war. He hates that he has this much power, and that Billy is the one who has put him here. It’s going to be so much harder to step away now that the figure of Long John Silver is no longer fully in his control.

He can’t rest unless he removes himself from the war. Otherwise it will continue to consume him bit by bit until there is nothing left to take from him. Once that happens, he’d just be a pile of bits and pieces, boiling over with rage that he didn’t do something sooner.

A shadow falls over the desk as Flint reads over his shoulder. Silver realizes that he has stalled, gotten lost in his thoughts. He disregards Flint, rolls his shoulders, and continues to write.

_I will always stand by your side, but there can be no place for me in this war._

Flint inhales loudly through his nose. Silver realizes he has to make one amendment.

 _After I kill Billy Bones with my bare hands_. Flint snorts. Silver leans back in his chair and smiles. Billy has been controlling his story for too long. The myth of Long John Silver is slipping through his fingers. He needs to take it back and make it his own.

“Not unless I kill him first,” Flint responds. Silver underlines _with my bare hands_ , and keeps going.

 _Come with me when I leave._ Silver stops writing and looks at Flint, who stares at the paper for a long moment. Finally, he shakes his head.

“I can’t promise that right now,” Flint tells him, speaking slowly as he thinks about it. “I bear too much responsibility to consider deserting anyone. I couldn’t do that to Madi. But our cause is growing. If there comes a day where it outgrows any need of me, then perhaps.”

Silver nods, accepting his captain’s terms.

“You told me once that without the crew, all you are is an invalid,” Flint continues unexpectedly, and Silver blinks. “What made you change your mind?”

It doesn’t take long for him to reply.

 _We weren’t on the best of terms then. Now, your and Madi’s support seems to be enough._ He finds it to be true as he writes. Not that he’s not appreciative of the crew’s support of him. He’s grateful to them. But he’s realizing very quickly that he doesn’t need them if Flint is in love with him. He’s not used to that knowledge, and he puts it out of his head for a moment to focus on the task at hand.

 _Tell me how it happened_. He writes, putting the pen down to lean back, looking fully at Flint.

“How what happened?” Flint asks. Silver makes a face that says _‘_ Are you serious? _’_ and gestures at his throat.

“What part of it?”

Silver shrugs and crosses his arms. He’s ready to hear whatever Flint deems necessary.

Flint sighs, sits on the bed opposite him, and starts talking.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it gets violent.

Billy’s head broke the surface and he took a deep breath of the night air. The Walrus loomed large in front of him. He swam the last few feet, grabbing onto the side of the ship for support. He took a few more deep breaths, found his place, and began to climb. 

His head was full of images of Flint and Silver, standing side by side at the Underhill Plantation. They had spoken as one, and in a few short moments, all of the power Billy had gathered was gone. His men had followed their orders, leaving him alone. The real Long John Silver had returned to Nassau in the chaos following Woodes Rogers’ death after Anne Bonny killed him in the night as revenge for his kidnapping of Jack Rackham. The real Long John Silver had sauntered in and taken the pirate throne they had won back from England after expelling their soldiers, Eleanor Guthrie, and their pardons. The real Long John Silver spoke quietly into Flint’s ear while watching Billy, and therefore could no longer be trusted to share in Billy’s interests. 

The real Long John Silver had to go. 

Billy pressed himself tight against the ship, scaling it quietly. He reached the top and peered over. It was a cloudy night, and the boat was full of shadows. He stuck to them, stealing toward the cabin. 

As he grew closer, he realized that one of them was standing outside. Billy drew out his knife. He looked at the ground, searching the figure’s feet. A slow smile spread across Billy’s face as he identified Silver’s peg leg. Silver turned toward the cabin, taking a step toward it.

Billy leapt from the shadows, wrapping an arm around Silver’s neck and pressing his knife into the other man’s side before he could react. 

“You weren’t supposed to choose him” Billy hissed. “Is he in there?” 

Billy pointed toward the cabin with the knife. 

“Yes,” Silver gasped, and Billy’s grip loosened. He kicked the back of Silver’s good knee, knocking him off balance. Billy unwrapped his arm from Silver’s neck and grabbed his hair as he started to fall. Silver let out a yell as he scrambled to regain his footing. 

***

There was a sound of commotion outside, followed by a yell. Flint looked up from his desk, frowning at the door.

“Flint!” A voice roared. 

Flint was up in seconds, pistol in hand as he opened the door. 

He wasn’t prepared for the sight that awaited him. Billy stood directly in front of the door, holding a struggling Silver up by the hair while pressing a knife to his throat.

Flint aimed his pistol at Billy. Billy grinned back. 

He could hear the blood pounding in his ears as he cocked the gun. 

“Let him go,” Flint demanded. 

“I made him,” Billy replied. “He’s not Long John Silver! I am! Me! You can’t just take the name and my men,  _ we’re _ the ones who took Nassau back. Not you. Not him. Me!”

“Under my orders,” Flint retorted, firing the pistol.

Billy howled and flinched. A line of blood trickled down his arm and Flint looked on in horror. He’d missed. 

For a split second, their eyes met. Then Billy grinned, jerked Silver up by the hair, pressed his knife into his Quartermaster’s throat, and slashed.

Flint watched as blood poured out of Silver’s neck. Silver’s eyes rolled into his head and fluttered shut. He fell limp. 

Billy pushed Silver into Flint’s arms and ran. 

He was only vaguely aware that Billy had escaped. He’s too focused on Silver, heavy in his arms, soaking them both with blood. A wordless yell of alarm fell from his mouth. He didn’t hear it.

Dooley reached them first, his eyes growing wide as he took in the scene before him.

“I’ll fetch Howell,” He said in a rush, disappearing again. Flint’s eyes snapped up, as he focused back on the situation at hand.

Men trickled onto the deck, roused by the commotion. They saw Flint holding silver and surged forward.

Flint couldn’t think. Silver, the only one who knew him fully, the only one he could find peace around, was bleeding out in his lap and there was nothing he could do about it. 

Howell arrived then, and suddenly Flint could breathe again. 

“What happened?” Howell asked, crouching down to assess the damage. 

“Billy Bones,” Flint growled. 

“He’s still alive.” Howell replied, awed. “We need to get him into your cabin.” 

Flint nodded, carefully standing with Silver in his arms. They hurried into the cabin, clearing off Flint’s desk. Flint was only distantly aware of his more trusted crewmen filing in, holding aloft lamps to aid Howell.

Flint watched as Howell pulled the gash in Silver’s throat shut with tight stitches, pausing every so often to check his pulse. When it was done, Howell shook his head in bewilderment and looked up at Flint.

“Billy missed both arteries,” Howell said. “He might survive.”

Flint fell limp as all of the adrenaline drained from his body. He didn’t realize DeGroot had caught him until the other man was helping to hold him upright. 

“Thank you all,” Flint began, turning to face the crowd that had gathered. “For your assistance this evening. Leave us.”

His men shuffled out, murmuring their well wishes for Silver. 

Flint carefully carried Silver to the bed, laying him down as gently as he could. 

Howell stood next to him, and they regarded Silver as he slept. 

“He seems to attract tragedy,” Howell observed. 

“He does,” Flint agreed, thinking of all of Silver’s past lives that he wasn’t privy to. 

“I think he’s going to live,” Howell said. “If he’s still breathing in the morning, that will be a good sign.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Flint found himself confessing. Howell patted him on the shoulder.

“If anyone can survive something like this, it’s Silver,” Howell said. 

Flint set sail for Maroon Island twenty minutes later. 

They made good time, despite the crew’s somber mood. Flint couldn’t do anything without being asked about Silver. Flint realized the crew was more loyal to him than their captain. Everyone was tense, waiting for Billy to leap from the shadows again. 

More than one man expressed a desire to see Billy dead. Flint did nothing to stop their talk. 

They dropped anchor as close to Maroon Island as possible. Flint sent a party ahead to meet Madi, who arrived at the Walrus tight-lipped and pale. Flint met her on the deck, leading her to the cabin.

“Howell thinks he’s going to live,” Flint said, voice gruff. Madi said nothing, laying her hand on Silver’s forehead. 

“He’s warm,” Madi said. Flint nodded. 

“We brought him here to recover out of the way. You’re better equipped than we are,” Flint told her. Madi finally looked away from Silver to meet his gaze.

“Let’s get him to the camp,” She replied. 

Once Silver was laid out in his bed, Howell stopped by. He cleaned the wound, Flint and Madi standing shoulder to shoulder opposite him. The stitches were red and ugly, but Howell looked unconcerned. 

“I don’t know when he’s going to wake up,” Howell told them. “Not until the fever breaks, at least.”

“We can do more,” Madi said, giving him instructions to visit her mother and gather supplies. 

Howell nodded and excused himself. 

“Tell me everything,” Madi demanded once Howell was gone. 

Flint did. 

Madi remained quiet for the duration of Flint’s tale, her eyes narrowing in fury as her tears dried. 

“I’m going to kill Billy Bones,” She declared.

“Get in line,” Flint replied. 

A week passed with no change from Silver. Howell followed Madi’s instructions, visiting multiple times a day. Silver’s throat healed well, the skin fading from red to pink as the skin knit itself back together. His fever broke at the end of the week, but he had yet to open his eyes.

Flint and Madi maintained their vigil, but eventually they had to address the war, which would not wait much longer for them. After the better part of the week, they began to return to their responsibilities, leaving one at a time while the other stayed behind, waiting for any sign of change. 

A week and a half after their arrival, Flint and Madi were outside Silver’s room, watching the sun set. 

“You love him just as deeply as I do,” Madi said, breaking their silence. Flint looked away from her, hesitating.

“You should not feel ashamed,” Madi continued, and Flint looked sharply at her.

“I am not ashamed to love him,” Flint replied, his voice steely. Madi nodded.

“Our war will not wait for him,” She said. 

“I know,” Flint agreed. He was tired. 

“The next step is to return to Nassau,” Madi continued. “We need to move while our success at the Underhill Plantation is fresh. There are more plantations to liberate. They believe in our might and want our help”

“That’s good,” Flint agreed. “We need to move quickly.”

“Billy is likely hiding somewhere on the island as well,” Madi said. “He cannot have gotten far, and nobody will help him now.”

“Billy is a dead man already,” Flint promised. “Word travels quickly. Silver’s name is already legend.”

“I wonder how his legend has grown since this attack,” Madi mused, and Flint found himself wondering the same thing.

“Long John Silver strikes fear into the hearts of men already,” Flint agreed, “I’m sure there are mixed rumors about his survival.”

Madi said nothing for a long moment.

“His survival is still not assured,” She said. 

“He’ll wake soon,” Flint argued, refusing to believe that he could lose Silver.

“What do you want to do?” Madi asked him.

“About what?” Flint looked at her.

“Will you come stand with me when I leave for Nassau?” Madi clarified. 

Flint hesitated. He looked over his shoulder at Silver’s sleeping form. The thought of leaving him alone gnawed at him.

“What if he wakes and neither of us are here?” Flint finally asked. Madi put a hand on his arm. The weight was comforting, and Flint saw the concern in Madi’s eyes.

“He might,” She agreed. “But we have no way of knowing.”

“Perhaps,” Flint said after a moment of reflection, “I should stay.”

“You would?” Madi asked. Flint nodded.

“He deserves a familiar face greeting him on the other side of this ordeal,” Flint murmured.

“You are right,” Madi agreed.

“You’ll have the Walrus.” Flint continued, “You’ll have my men. They will follow your orders. They know that disrespecting you is disrespecting him.” He paused, then added, “They’re grieving too.”

“He’s not dead,” Madi said. 

“You weren’t there. That night,” Flint said. “The blood-” He couldn’t close his eyes without seeing Silver falling toward him. He didn’t know what his men saw, but it surely wasn’t pretty. His own clothes from that night were irreparably stained. 

Madi’s face hardened into something unreadable. 

“I am glad I did not have to see it,” She said. 

“As am I,” Flint agreed. “But I am resolved to be by his side.”

Madi nodded. Flint sighed.

“Silver sleeps in your cabin when you sail?” Madi asked him. Flint nodded. “And you have been awake while he sleeps?” 

Flint nodded again, looking over his shoulder at Silver, but nothing had changed. 

“Why do you ask?” Flint looked back at Madi.

“He cries out in his sleep sometimes, does he not?” Madi continued, asking another question instead of answering his. 

“Occasionally, he has. Yes,” Flint confirmed. “We’ve not discussed it. I doubt he’s eager to.”

“It hasn’t come up between us either,” Madi said.

“Why do you ask, then?” Flint inquired.

“He’s been completely silent when his sleep is troubled,” Madi said. “When he had a fever, there were times when he seemed to be crying out, but I could not hear his voice. I have started to wonder if his silence is a result of Billy’s attack.”

Flint felt the blood drain from his face as he processed what Madi had told him. 

“We’ll know when he wakes,” Flint said, his voice thick. 

Madi nodded solemnly. 

“He’s going to be angry,” She murmured, looking over her shoulder at Silver. 

“He certainly will,” Flint agreed.

“He’ll need you,” Madi said. “I’ll go ahead to Nassau. You be here for him.”

“I do not think I could go on without expressing my affections for him,” Flint said.

“He will reciprocate them,” Madi assured him. 

“He’s in love with you,” Flint pointed out. 

“And he’s in love with you as well,” Madi argued. “We have both seen this.” 

Flint nodded. They were silent for a long moment.

“You are very relaxed for someone being forced to share their love,” Flint observed.

“He needs it.” Madi replied. “He will never tell us his full story, but he is full of surprises. Imagine how he will feel with both of us supporting him.”

Madi set sail the next day. She left Flint to maintain his vigil at Silver’s bedside, a stack of books at his side. 

Flint looked at Silver every once in a while, but the man didn’t stir. 

Days passed. Silver slept on.

Flint thought about what would happen when Silver finally opened his eyes. If the Quartermaster would reciprocate his feelings. If he would be okay. Then Silver woke up.


	4. Chapter 4

Silver leans back, absorbing Flint’s tale. He hadn’t thought that Flint and Madi would have discussed their feelings like that. He takes solace in the knowledge that Madi is willing to share him with Flint. But he’s not thrilled either. 

He reaches for a piece of paper, scribbling that down.

_ Madi is content with my affection being divided between you? _

Silver holds the paper out, watching as Flint reads it. 

“Yes,” Flint tells him, “Madi and I did discuss our feelings for you. She encouraged me to stay here to figure things out.”

_ I do not need your help. _ He underlines the message. He underlines it one more time to make sure his meaning is clear. 

“You’ve made your stance on appearing weak in front of others very clear,” Flint replies, clutching the last message in his hand. “And I’m not sure how to help you right now, but my desire to doesn’t stem from pity, if that’s what you’re thinking. You should know that already.”

Silver fumes.

“You’re angry,” Flint observes. 

Silver nods. Of course he’s angry. He’s been betrayed  _ again _ by someone he trusted, and every bit of instinct in him is screaming to get away from Flint and Madi too, away from everyone he knows, because he shouldn’t be able to trust any of them anymore. They think they know what’s best for him, but he’s the only person who knows that. 

He’s angry because he can’t get away. Not in his condition. Not with the amount of people depending on him. Not when everyone knows who he is. With his missing leg and now the scar on his neck, he’ll be impossible to miss.

John Silver is not someone to be depended on. He’s not sure when everyone decided that they could. But it’s suffocating him. 

He can’t tell Flint any of that. 

He can’t tell anyone any of that. So he shoves it all to the back of his head and locks it away.

For now, he can prioritize killing Billy. Channel his rage at his situation into revenge.

He reaches for one more scrap of paper.

_ We’re going to need to figure out something more efficient than this _ , he writes, rolling his eyes as he hands this paper over. 

“We will,” Flint promises. Silver’s already thinking about it. He reaches for his crutch with one hand, holding the other out to Flint, not looking at the captain as he silently asks for assistance. Flint takes his hand and helps pull him upright, looking him up and down once Silver is situated. It’s easier to stand now than it was a few minutes ago, and he’s grateful. 

“Where to?” He asks, and Silver points directly outside. He’s only been awake for a short while, but he wants nothing more than to take a deep breath of fresh air. Silver moves slowly toward the entrance, still unsteady. The room is full of fresh air, but the walls are beginning to close in on him.

He longs to be on a boat with the wind behind him and to put all of this behind him. But that would also mean leaving behind Flint and Madi, and he cannot do that right now. 

He needs to stop thinking about running away. He can barely walk right now.

With his free hand he reaches for Flint again, and Flint is by his side in seconds. 

Silver keeps his free hand on Flint’s arm as he steps forward, focusing on staying upright. The sun blinds him for a moment, but he blinks it away, taking in the village. Nothing’s different except for him. He’s not sure what he was expecting. 

It’s quiet outside. Silver and Flint progress in silence. Flint is absorbed in his own thoughts, and Silver thinks about all of the ways he could kill Billy. Slow, drawn out torturous deaths where he would inflict all of the pain he’s felt on the man who made his legend greater. 

He thinks about reclaiming his narrative, drenched in blood but finally,  _ finally _ gaining back the control he’s long since lost.

“Do you have any particular destination in mind?” Flint asks, and Silver mouths the word  _ no _ .  He’s just content to be outside. His stomach answers for him, rumbling loudly. Silver puts a hand on his middle and glances from it to Flint. He raises his eyebrows.

“Hungry?” Flint looks amused. Silver shrugs. He’s only just woken up from a weeks long fever dream that still doesn’t feel ended. He’s still re-orienting himself, and drowsiness is clouding his thoughts.

Since they’re not heading anywhere in particular, Silver stops and turns around. He’d rather eat away from everyone else. His crew is gone, he has nobody to act in front of. He and Flint are long past hiding their weaknesses from one another, and he’d rather eat in the privacy of his own room. 

As he walks back, Flint follows him without question. Silver stops and nudges him gently. 

“What?” Flint asks. Silver touches Flint’s bottom lip, gently opening Flint’s mouth. He waits.

“I’m not sure what you want from me,” Flint tells him, smiling, though it looks like he’s fighting it. Silver pulls his hand back and touches his throat, then Flint’s. He mouths the word  _ talk _ for good measure, but he’s almost certain the captain’s already figured it out.

“Talk?” Flint asks. Silver nods. “About what?”

Silver rolls his eyes and shrugs. He doesn’t care, he’s just looking for conversation. He starts to walk again. 

“I never wished to fall in love,” is what Flint settles on, to Silver’s surprise. Silver stops suddenly to look at Flint, and mouths the name  _ Thomas _ curiously. Flint nods, and continues. 

“After Thomas. After Miranda. I swore that there couldn’t be another person on Earth who would know me so completely. But you’ve managed, somehow, to learn all that there is to me. I’ve come to appreciate the peace I have with you, where I may exist as McGraw and Flint.”

His captain looks tired, Silver thinks, as he stares at Flint’s face. His near death certainly hadn’t helped matters. Flint looks over at him and they lock eyes. Silver wants nothing more than to give Flint all of the peace in the world. He has loved Flint for a long time, practically since they met. Silver’s always appreciated that he and Flint think on the same level. Now that Flint’s love is his and he’s been given a second chance at life, it seems to Silver worthwhile to seek their peace together. He nearly grimaces at this sudden sentimentality. He’s never had the time for it.

When he first took the opportunity to join the Walrus, he’d only thought of the gold. Now he has men depending on him and their cause, his cause, has taken his leg and now his voice. 

His thoughts stray to Madi, and Silver wonders where she is, if they were able to liberate the next plantation. He expects that the Walrus will return fuller than she left, with new maroons ready to join the fight that seems to grow with each passing day. 

“You asked me to talk but you’re not listening,” Flint nudges him, breaking Silver out of his thoughts. Silver does grimace at this and gestures for Flint to continue. 

“Have I told you of the reason I chose the name Flint?” 

Silver nods once. If he keeps it small, the motion doesn’t pull at his throat. 

He recalls the tale that had mixed in amongst all of Flint’s stories. The name Flint had been chosen, placed over him like armor, keeping him safe in his descent to piracy. 

“I’ve long wished to shed the name and retire in peace,” Flint continues. “I was ready before Charlestown, but after Miranda-”

Silver watches as Flint trails off. He licks his lips and continues.

“I must admit that with her death, I was ready to lose myself in our war. There was nothing to keep me from raging against England for everything it had taken from me.”

They pause for a moment, and Flint looks at Silver, who raises his eyebrows and mouths the world  _ Charlestown _ . It takes a moment for Flint to understand. 

“What about Charlestown?” He asks. Silver mimes shrugging off a jacket. Flint thinks for a moment before asking, “You’re asking if I’ve been ready to shed my legacy since Charlestown?”

Silver nods. 

“I suppose I have,” Flint agrees. Silver gestures at his leg indignantly, then leans heavily on his crutch, his balance thrown off. Perhaps a walk was too ambitious. 

“As I’m sure you’ll recall, I had nothing to do with that. Nor did I like you at the time.” Flint says wryly. “I’ve only just realized that I would be happy to retire with you after realizing that I am not prepared to lose you as well.”

They’ve returned to his hut, and he’s glad to be able to sit. His body feels heavier than it had just a few minutes ago, and Silver feels positively wiped out. They make their way inside and Silver sighs in relief when he’s finally seated. 

“Still hungry?” Flint asks. Silver ignores him, laying down slowly. It’s warm out, but he’s cold, and he pulls a sheet over himself. The edges of Flint’s eyes soften and he bends down, planting a soft kiss against Silver’s curls. It’s quick and hesitant, but Silver barely notices it. His eyelids are closing and nothing matters anymore.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep when Flint rouses him. A steaming bowl sits on the table next to him, and Silver greedily chugs its contents, contentment spreading through him as he realizes it doesn’t hurt his throat at all to eat. 

When he’s done, he hands the bowl back to Flint and lays down again. A yawn slips out, and then Flint yawns too.

He’s ready to sleep, but awake enough to start fearing, irrationally, that Billy is going to come for him, emerging from the shadows to finish the job. 

Cautiously, gently, and annoyed at himself, Silver reaches out to tug once on Flint’s sleeve.

“What?” Flint asks, looking down at him.

Silver hesitates for a long moment, before shifting over in the bed to make room for his captain. 

“Are you sure?” Flint asks, and Silver meets his eyes. He’s not sure at all. He knows that Flint knows that, but he tells himself that he can trust Flint, and he extends a welcoming hand despite the unease gnawing at him.

Flint seems to consider it, weighing all of the options before he sits on the edge of the bed and pulls off his boots, before laying next to Silver. 

Silver finds himself closer to Flint than he’s ever been, but he’s not overly eager to initiate anything closer than simply laying together. He’s also falling asleep again, so there’s not much he could do anyway. Even if he was ready to act on all of the deep affection he holds for the man, now is not the time.

“I’ve barely slept,” Flint confesses after another yawn, “Waiting for you to wake up.” 

Silver reaches up, cupping Flint’s face. He swipes his thumb over Flint’s eyes, gently closing them. Then he closes his own eyes. 

The next day, Silver puts on his false leg and lets Flint guide him through the forest, to the beach. Flint carries a crutch and two swords, and Silver knows exactly where they’re headed. 

Sparring feels ambitious. But it brings Flint peace and clarity, which his captain sorely needs right now. 

They pause at the edge of the forest and stare out at the ocean. Silver’s out of breath, panting heavily. He leans against Flint, resting his forehead on the man’s shoulder, seeking the support to hold himself up, but quietly reveling in how close he is able to get. But also trying desperately to stay upright. 

He’s moving far too slowly and he knows it. He tamps down on the annoyances of his condition by thinking about killing Billy. It’s not going to give him back everything that Billy’s taken, but it will stop him from taking more. 

“We don’t have to if you’re not ready,” Flint murmurs to the top of his head. Silver shakes his head and pulls away, inhaling deeply through his nose. He takes a few steps into the sand and looks back at Flint, gesturing for him to follow. He’s sweating bullets and breathing heavily, but he tries to hide it. Flint smiles to himself, shakes his head, and catches up to Silver. 

They make it to the top of the hill they’ve already spent so much time on, and Silver sits down on the nearest rock immediately, throwing his head back as he sighs in relief. The fresh scar tissue on his neck pulls, but it doesn’t hurt as much as it did the day before. It’s a relief that his throat doesn’t hurt after their hike. He’s drenched with sweat, and he eyes the swords wearily, dreading picking one up. 

Silver stretches his legs out in front of him, but makes no move to take off the false one. He can’t fight today. At the moment, he’s not sure he can stand.

Flint sits down next to him. 

“Perhaps sparring was a bit too ambitious,” Flint suggests, worry lining his face as he takes in Silver. Silver exhales heavily as he presses himself against Flint, needing to lean on something while he focuses on staying awake. That’s answer enough to Flint’s question, he thinks.

It’s warm, humid, and Silver’s already covered in sweat, but he soaks in his captain’s solid presence. He’s unused to the possessive feeling in his gut, and how any distance from Flint feels wrong, now that he doesn’t have to stay away. He’s never been clingy. It’s embarrassing him. What’s worse, he’s clingy and he can’t quite bring himself to act on it.

Flint pulls away and Silver moves to follow, but he’s stopped by Flint’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Just hang on a moment,” Flint says, turning so that he’s behind Silver. His hair is lifted from the back of his neck, and a cool breeze hits his skin. Silver immediately sighs in pleasure, his own hands going to smooth back his hair. Flint gently swats Silver’s hands away and gets to work securing his curls into a braid, tying it off when he’s done.

“Miranda taught me that, years ago,” Flint tells him. Silver grins and resumes his position against Flint’s side. “She enjoyed having someone else brush out her hair at night. I found it to be relaxing.” 

Silver’s really not thrilled about his newly imposed silence, but he also doesn’t mind that it allows Flint to tell more of his stories. He wishes to know everything there is to know about James McGraw-Flint. He does know just about all of it, but there are still some small moments that he’s not heard. Silver knows that he’ll never know everything, and treasures each nugget of information like it’ll be the last. It’s just that he far prefers hearing about Flint’s past to thinking about his own. 

Silver looks at Flint, and their eyes meet. Before he can think about it, he’s surging forward and pressing his lips to Flint’s. It’s perfect. It’s wonderful. Flint wraps his arms around Silver’s, and Silver is reaching up to cup his captain’s face in his. 

And then he yawns. 

He yawns, in spite of himself. In spite of the fact that he’s having a wonderful moment and doesn’t want it to change. In spite of the fact that they could be fucking, right here right now. 

Sure enough, Flint pulls back. Silver turns away, suddenly disgusted with himself. With a body that can’t cooperate with what he wants, what he needs. It’s a miracle, honestly, that Flint loves him despite all of his shortcomings. He has so many of them.

“We should go back.” 

Silver agrees, but makes no effort to move aside from turning back. He decides he’s quite content to stay where he is a moment longer, staring at Flint in such close proximity. He’s also not quite sure that he has the energy to move. 

Then he yawns again and it’s all ruined. Flint is standing and helping him up, swords forgotten on the ground. He grabs the crutch and pauses, eyes fixed on the sea. Silver follows his gaze, squinting in the sun. 

There’s a ship on the horizon. Warmth bursts through his chest, elation and fear hitting him at the same time. He can’t wait to hold Madi in his arms. But now Flint is a part of this too. And Madi will undoubtedly have news about Billy, if she’s coming back from Nassau. Something inside of him twists, thinking about Billy. 

Silver hates how afraid he is of Billy. There’s a fire in the pit of his stomach, a fire fueled by all of the ways Billy has hurt him, has twisted his story without his knowing, without his consent. Billy should be afraid of him. 

But Billy was the one who got the upper hand first and had nearly taken him out of the story entirely. 

He looks away. It’ll be hours before the Walrus crew return to the village. Silver thinks he’d like to be there when Madi returns. 

Whatever Flint is thinking, he doesn’t voice it. Instead, he turns to Silver and gestures toward the beach. 

“Shall we?”

They make it halfway down the hill before he doubles over, panting. He nearly falls, and Flint steps close, concern on his features, but Silver waves him away. His breathing echoes in his ears, and he feels as though he’s slogging through mud. 

Flint has been watching as progress turned to struggle, and Silver watches him step even closer. 

“You can’t make it back from here,” Flint tells him. Silver’s fully aware of this, but he doesn’t see any other options. “I’ll carry you.”

Silver straightens immediately, a protest he’s not sure how to voice forming on his lips. Flint stops him. 

“Nobody is around to see you. Everybody knows what happened. Your men aren’t here.” 

Silver’s just exhausted enough to agree, so he wraps his arms around Flint’s neck and allows the man to give him a piggyback ride. He wants to complain the whole time, but he can’t talk and Flint would probably ignore it. 

“You’re quite light right now anyways,” Flint assures him as they set off. His voice is teasing, but there’s an element of concern present. 

He knows that Flint cares and is concerned, but it’s still embarrassing. Even if they’re the only two people who know. Maybe he’s not as comfortable being weak in front of the captain than he thought. 

They’re quiet as they make their way back. Silver focuses all of his energy into keeping his eyes open. 

Flint pauses near the edge of the forest and looks back at Silver.

“Would you prefer to walk the last of it?” 

Silver doesn’t have the energy to, but he nods once and slides off Flint’s back, keeping an arm around the man’s shoulder. Flint wraps an arm around his waist, holding him up. It takes ages to walk the short distance to his hut, and Silver collapses against his mattress as soon as he is able to. He’s never been so exhausted in his life. He barely notices as Flint gently tugs off his peg leg, or when he grabs a book and settles in next to him. 

Silver’s already half asleep by the time Flint’s cracking open the book, but he rolls over and looks up at Flint. 

“What?” Flint asks. Silver reaches up to tap the book and gestures to Flint. 

“Out loud?” Flint asks next. Silver nods and gets comfy. 

He falls asleep moments later to the soft sound of Flint reading, but he doesn’t hear a word of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Silver wakes to sunshine streaming in face. He slowly pushes himself to a sitting position, rubbing his eyes. When he opens them, Madi is frozen in the doorway. They make eye contact and she rushes forward. Silver pushes himself off the bed, balance precarious as he throws his arms around her. She pulls him close and he presses his face into her neck. 

“It is good to see you,” Madi’s voice is muffled as she speaks into his chest. Silver hugs her a little tighter. He’s so happy to see her.

She pulls away, inspecting the scar on his neck. He keeps his arms on her shoulders to stay balanced, but focuses on her.

“It will fade,” She finally says, looking up at him. 

Flint steps in a moment later, but hesitates when he sees them together. 

“I can return later-” He says, but Madi ducks out from under Silver’s arms and links arms with Flint, leading him into the room. Silver sits back down, watching them. 

“You will do no such thing,” Madi tells Flint as they close the distance between themselves and Silver. “You are entitled to your fair share of him.”

“That’s awfully kind of you,” Flint replies, “But I’m sure Mr. Silver is hungry, seeing as he hasn’t eaten since yesterday.”

Silver’s gaze darts from Madi to Flint and back as he watches them discuss him. He’s not sure how Madi and Flint have found this harmony, but it seems to have happened while he was asleep. Again. Because all he does right now is sleep. He’s getting sick of it.

Against his will, Silver’s stomach grumbles and he furrows his brow, concern plain on his face. How long has it been?

“You’ve been asleep for almost a day,” Flint tells him. Silver’s eyes widen and Flint rushes to placate him. 

“Madi got in last night. I told her that you were awake, but still recovering,” He says. “We had a lovely dinner.”

Silver raises his eyebrows. Nearly dying has done something fascinating to his two greatest loves. 

“Everyone is relieved to hear that you’re okay,” Madi adds. “They’re excited to see you.”

“But they all know about your voice. We had to tell them,” Flint cuts back in. “There’s quite a few people ready to kill Billy if all of us fail to.”

Silver exhales loudly through his nose and nods. He gives a half-hearted thumbs up and Flint slips out, promising to be back with food. 

“Billy is hiding somewhere on Nassau,” Madi says, her eyes turning steely. 

Silver tilts his head, listening. He takes a deep breath, and finds the rage he needs to think. He nods and gestures for her to continue. 

“Whoever is keeping him hidden knows that they are risking their lives for him. But now Nassau knows you lived. Word will find its way to Billy. And we will sail whenever you are ready, so he can see for himself that he couldn’t stop you.”

Silver absorbs the information. Billy Bones is a dead man. He hopes that Billy’s afraid of him. Billy should be afraid, Silver’s going to kill him. And he’s going to make it hurt.  

Madi sits down next to him. 

“I am so glad to see you alive,” She says, quiet now. Earnest. Silver leans over and presses a kiss to the side of her forehead, letting his anger go for the moment. He hopes she knows how happy he is to see her. How grateful he is to have survived. 

Madi’s hand finds his and their fingers intertwine. Silver looks at her face, studying it for a moment. She still looks angry, and she’s frowning just a bit. But her gaze is soft and when their eyes meet, he sees only warmth. They share a moment, holding each other’s hands. But the moment is ended by Flint’s return, bearing a plate of fruit.

As much as he would love to spend the rest of his days with the people in this room, not fighting a war, Silver knows that there is business to be done. He secures his false leg and crosses to the desk. 

It’s time for him to kill Billy Bones. Since he’s woken up, he has had one purpose and one purpose only. Silver knows that he will not be able to rest until he’s standing over Billy’s dead body, and all he wants to do is rest. With every passing moment, he’s only growing more frustrated that Billy is still alive. 

Silver shuffles some paper around, tearing it into small scraps he can write on. 

The first thing he says is that he wants to sail by sundown. There’s no way in hell he’ll win in a fight right now, but he can sleep on the Walrus. Once Billy’s dead, he’ll be able to sleep whenever he wants. There will be all the time in the world for recovery then. 

Next, he asks for an update on Nassau. It’s been chaos following Woodes Rogers’ death. He hopes that things have calmed down while he’s been out of it, that there’s some sense of order and that Billy has no place in it.  

There is a long moment before he writes the last note. Telling Flint about his intention to retire was one thing, but the war has gotten bigger and Madi’s army stronger since the last time he saw her. There’s no way that Madi will fully forgive him for leaving, but he’s not trying to stop the war, at least. He just won’t fight in it. He can’t fight.

He knows that Flint at least understands him, and he tries to imagine how the war could go on without either of them. It would be doable, if they could liberate the rest of the plantations on Nassau. He makes a mental note to think about that idea for later.

Madi reads the first two notes and passes them on to Flint. She holds on to the last one, reading it over a few times before looking back up. 

“I understand,” She says evenly, passing the last note to Flint, who doesn’t look surprised when he sees it. Silver can’t read Madi’s tone, but she doesn’t look pleased. He tries not to feel too annoyed that she’s not happy with him. 

“If you’re really so eager to set sail, we can discuss all of this further on the boat,” Flint butts in. Silver and Madi swivel their heads to look at him. Flint shrugs.

“He wants to set sail by sundown. We can discuss the condition of Nassau once we’re on the way.”

Silver looks back to Madi and shrugs as well. She sighs and nods.

“All right,” Madi agrees. “I will go tell my mother we’re leaving again.” 

She slips out, leaving Flint and Silver alone together. Silver starts to peel an orange, waiting for Flint to say something.

“Your men have been asking for you.” Flint finally breaks the silence. Silver looks up.

_ My men? _ He mouths back, pointing at himself, eyebrows raising playfully.

“They’re more your men than mine at this point,” Flint tells him. “And they want to see you, if you’re up for it.” 

Silver nods, makes quick work of his breakfast, and makes a beeline for the door. Flint chuckles behind him as they walk into the sunshine. 

It’s much busier out today. There are more people wandering about, including a good amount that he doesn’t recognize. Things must have gone very well for Madi. 

Then someone spots him, and his name is being whispered reverently throughout the camp as all eyes lock on him. Gasps echo in the crowd and Silver straightens, pulling his shoulders back and thrusting his chin up defiantly. He knows what they want to see. He lets them stare at the fresh scar on his neck, and he looks at Flint, who stands to his left.

“I told you he would wake up,” Flint says, and everyone looks at him. Silver sighs in relief, now that all eyes are off of him. They’re going to continue to stare, but at least they’ve gotten a peek at the thing and won’t go out of their way to look later. 

“We still needed to see him to believe it,” De Groot calls out. Flint shrugs. 

“Well, you’ve seen him. Get ready to sail for Nassau,” He replies. “We have unfinished business there.” 

The crowd disperses quickly, and Silver watches as his men look back at him over their shoulders, still unconvinced that he’s real. 

“Are you ready?” Flint asks, standing beside him as they watch the crew. Silver looks at Flint. There’s a part of him that’s terrified of Billy somehow gaining an advantage over him, but he’s also sure that nobody will let that happen again. The men worship and fear him. Billy made Long John Silver. He’s just going to play the role. They want to fear and respect him. He’ll give them a reason to fear and respect him. 

Silver nods once. Flint puts a hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ll be with you the whole time,” He promises. “I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Silver turns away to pack his things. 


	6. Chapter 6

They set sail not long after. Silver hides in the Walrus’ cabin with Madi while Flint gets them to the open ocean. Silver sits behind Flint’s desk, watching Maroon Island disappear through the window. Madi sits on the edge of the desk, watching with him. 

As the island shrinks away, Silver pulls a piece of paper across the desk and writes  _ Tell me about Nassau _ on it before holding it out to Madi. 

“It’s calmer now,” She starts, looking at the piece of paper before looking back up at Silver. “They are waiting to hear word from England, to find out Eleanor Guthrie’s fate. She’s returned safely, and she’s pregnant with Roger’s child, so they won’t hang her. There is some sympathy for her now that she’s a grieving widow. Blackbeard has taken over governing Nassau Town. Anne Bonny and Jack Rackham have yet to return, but have been informed that there are no British soldiers left waiting to kill her in revenge for her killing Woodes Rogers. I believe she is expected to return any time.”

Flint enters at this point, and Silver and Madi look at him. 

“We’re discussing Nassau,” She tells him. Flint nods and crosses to the desk. 

“By no means let me stop you,” He tells her, crossing his arms. Silver looks at him curiously. 

“She filled me in last night,” Flint explains, and Silver nods, regretting once again how long he’d slept.

“We’ve liberated two of seven plantations. We have word that another has been discussing joining us. All of them have heard the rumors. It’s only a matter of time.”

“With each plantation that joins us, our fighting force grows. Soon it should start to spread to other islands.” Flint adds. “It’s going to get very large.”

“And you want to retire,” Madi changes the subject, slipping from the desk to glower down at him. “When you’ve never been more famous.”

Silver sinks into the chair. He’s really not a fan of his legend. Not when it’s not his to control anymore. He’s looking forward to improving upon Billy’s work.

_ They say I can’t be killed _ . He retorts. Flint reads out his response. 

“They believe it,” Flint confirms. Silver rolls his eyes. 

_ I’m only human _ . He replies. 

“Try telling them that.” Flint says. “You saw how they looked at you.”

“They’re very loyal,” Madi agrees, and Silver finds he prefers that phrasing. 

_ Very loyal? _ He asks, holding this one out to Madi. 

“They will do anything you tell them to.” Madi says. There is a promise in her voice that Silver finds so, so reassuring. He nods, thinking. Trying to formulate a plan. 

Madi sees the wheels turning in his head, and she narrows her eyes at him. 

“You’re scheming,” She says. Silver nods. He’s always scheming. Everyone in the cabin knows that. 

He reaches for a fresh piece of paper and rolls the pencil back and forth in his hands, before finally starting to write.

_ We have as many people present as possible when I kill Billy Bones, and then instruct our crew to spread word that I’ve gone. Disappeared into thin air. I’ll retire and step away. Then we let everyone tell their stories and believe what they may and see where the legend goes from there. I will take it back and give it to the people. _

_ But you will let the world know that the ghost of Long John Silver will come and cause chaos and destruction if he is angered. And if you truly need me, I can return for a short while, inspire the men, renew their fear. And then I will disappear again.  _

_ I have given my voice entirely to the war. Let my voice continue to influence it. But I cannot let this war take any more from me while I still live.  _

His hand cramps as he writes, and there is a heaviness in his eyes that tells Silver that he needs to sleep. Again. He tries to stifle a yawn as he hands the paper to Madi, who starts to read.

Flint suddenly appears at his side. Silver jumps. He hadn’t noticed anything, which can only mean that he’s really exhausted.

“You should sleep if you’re tired,” Flint murmurs, putting a hand on Silver’s shoulder. 

Silver sighs. He’d really prefer to keep this conversation going, but now Madi is looking at him in concern, and he realizes they’re not going to talk anytime soon. 

“You cannot recover if you do not rest.” Madi adds, taking a step closer to them. 

“You’ll feel better,” Flint says. He and Madi look at each other, and Silver gives up. There’s no fighting them. Not now that they’ve teamed up against him. And honestly, there’s really no fight in him right now. 

He stands up and walks to Flint’s bunk, laying down while his two loves watch him like a pair of hawks. 

It’s dark when he opens his eyes. Flint and Madi are both in the cabin, discussing a book that’s he’s not awake enough to name yet. Or maybe he doesn’t recognize it at all. He’s not nearly as well read as either of them. 

Silver sits up and rubs his eyes. The talking stops, and Madi and Flint are watching him. He tenses immediately, and wonders how many days have passed this time. 

Silver points at the night sky and mouths  _ how long? _ Madi looks from him to the window, but Flint beats her to it.

“Only a few hours,” Flint says, and Silver relaxes a bit. He narrows his eyes at Flint, then slips out of bed and walks to the window, looking for the moon. He finds it and exhales in relief. It truly has been only a few hours. That’s a good sign, it means that he’ll be ready to fight again soon. Silver cannot be weak when he sees Billy again. 

“We talked about your plan,” Flint says. Silver looks at the desk and sees that his note is sitting in the middle of the desk. 

“Your captain told me that you talked him into retiring too.” Madi’s voice is steely. 

“Eventually,” Flint assures, looking from her to Silver. “I cannot step away as quickly as Mr. Silver here plans to. Madi and I need to find and train a replacement. We need to organize our soldiers. We need to form a strategy. I have no plans to step away while the war needs me. But, once it is bigger than we ever imagined, when I know that England has felt my wrath, then I will be able to come with you.” 

When he talks about destroying England, Silver realizes, there’s a particular sparkle in Flint’s eye. It’s an anger he not only admires, he also finds it very, very attractive. 

“Would that arrangement suit you?” Madi asks. 

Silver knows that his stepping away hurts her. He can see that she feels betrayed. But he has been given another opportunity to live, and he will not see it steeped in violence. He cannot watch the people he loves destroy themselves for the cause. He’s also convinced that Madi would be furious if he pulled her out of her war, so he’s stuck. But Flint will go with him and they can have a quiet life together. Silver knows how deeply his captain craves peace, to shed the mantle of Flint, and he would only be too happy to find that peace with him. 

He walks over to them and picks up the pencil. 

_ I would ask that you come with me, but I do not think you’re willing to part with this war _ . 

Madi reads the note and nods. 

“I would never forgive you.” She agrees. Silver nods. He’d far prefer to stay in Madi’s good graces. 

_ I will stay as long as we must. Until Flint and I may retire to leave in peace. I  _ _ promise _ . He underlines the word promise. Madi reads it.

“We will find that time together.” She agrees, passing the note. to Flint, who nods in agreement. “And only when we know it is right.”

“I have no intention of retiring until our war is bigger than all of us,” Flint promises. Madi smiles. 

“When Long John Silver doesn’t mean nearly as much as Madi Scott,” Madi adds, looking at Silver.

He smiles a little. He’s definitely okay with Madi being revered the way he is. He’d far prefer everyone be in awe of her power. Madi is a storm with the force and anger to change the world. He can’t wait to watch it happen.

That gives him an idea, and he starts to write.

_ We should entrust the cache to Madi entirely. So that she may finance our war even after we have moved on from it.  _

Silver holds this note out to Flint, who reads it out loud and makes a face that suggests he’s considering it. 

“It’s not a bad idea,” Flint agrees. “You would preside over it and use it accordingly. And we will know that it is safe, if it is under your guard.”

“It’s a good idea,” Madi replies. Silver nods. He knows it’s a good idea, he came up with it. 

_ My men know that they will have me to respond to if they dare to disrespect Madi _ . He adds. 

Madi smiles at that note. He’s noticed that she’s settling into her role in this war, and she’s enjoying what she’s earned. It’s not quite like either of her parents approach to power, but something in between. She already commands the same respect that they have, but she is looking forward while her parents focused on safety in the present.

Silver watches as Flint reads the note and nods. 

“Not only do they respect her, they like her,” He agrees. 

“It’s a good plan.” Madi says, ending the conversation for the moment.

Silver grins. 

Madi retires for the evening not long after. Silver and Flint head out onto the deck, watching the men on their late-night rotation going about their business. 

“Do you feel better?” Flint asks. Silver has no idea what he’s talking about. He shrugs. He enjoyed his nap, at least.

“Perhaps we can hand the cache to her in person, in front of enough people that anybody that has been recruited from the account will trust her.” Flint immediately gets back to business, stroking his beard. Silver agrees, but he’s watching the men. They go about their work, glancing up every few minutes, as if to check that he’s still there.

“They’re just happy to see you.” Flint says, noticing as the crew stares. “It’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

Silver nods. He’s sure that he’d be staring too. It is a miracle, after all.

They’re quiet for a moment. He takes in the crew, the ship, how smoothly everything is running now that they’re focused on a new task. How invested they are in the thrill of the chase. But this time, their prize is a person. 

He wonders if this is how his captain felt when they were closing in on Alfred Hamilton. Silver glances at Flint from the corner of his eye and steps closer, reaching for his hand. Flint lets him take it and looks on curiously. Silver turns Flint’s hand palm up, and starts tracing letters into his palm. 

He slowly spells out  _ Like Alfred _ ? He adds the question mark at the end, but he’s in a place to elaborate now. 

“What’s like Alfred?” Flint asks, one corner of his mouth turning up as he watches Silver tracing letters into his palm. 

_ The Chase. _ Silver writes.  _ For Billy. _

Finally, Flint nods in understanding. He sighs, looking out at the water.

“I was very angry when we hunted down Alfred Hamilton,” Flint starts. Silver nods. Billy has turned his life upside down. He can’t fucking talk anymore because of Billy, and now he’s stuck without the one thing that could get him out of any situation. He’s surely just as angry.

“He ruined my life and I took great pleasure in ending his. I’d wager that you’re feeling much the same way right now?” At this, Flint looks at him. Silver meets the other man’s gaze, his expression dark. He’s itching to find Billy and destroy him. To remove him permanently as an obstacle, both to himself and to his legacy. Billy is far too close for comfort now. 

“Then yes,” Flint concludes, “I imagine that the way I felt chasing the man who changed my course irrevocably is much the same to how you feel now. Thrilling, because you’re going to kill him. And yet, it’s almost frightening, knowing that someone who wielded such power over your destiny, who should not have, is about to face you again.”

Silver isn’t expecting Flint’s recollection to strike as deeply as it does, and all he can do is press his lips into a thin line and look back out at the ship. He despises the fear he’s developed of Billy.

“Do you know how you’re going to kill him?” Flint asks. Silver shrugs. He’s given it some thought, but it’s not something he’s enjoying thinking about anymore. He wants Billy dead and gone. Now, he doesn’t want to think about Billy more than he has to, or he’s going to spend all of his time angry, and he doesn’t think that he’s quite recovered enough for that right now. 

He sighs. Silver is tired, and Billy is the one thing standing between him and finally getting a chance to rest. He thinks about Flint’s description of bearing the identity he carries, of building his name into a legend. Thanks to Billy, the work has been done for him. His presence isn’t needed to strike fear into the hearts of men. His name alone is enough to do that now. 

They make their way back to the cabin when the moon is high above them. Madi is asleep inside, curled into her hammock. 

Silver looks at Flint, pulling the other man toward the desk in the middle of the room. 

Flint’s hand comes up to his face, thumb tracing over his bottom lip. Silver lifts his hand, cradling Flint’s cheek. They stand like that for a long moment, staring at each other. 

Then Silver steps in and Flint’s face finds his and they are kissing. He’s drowning in Flint, in his rage and his passion, and it is everything he’s ever wanted. Flint’s fingers are sliding into his hair, tugging it out of his face while he pushes his tongue forward into the other man’s mouth. 

Madi makes a sound in her sleep, and they hesitate for a moment before breaking apart. 

Silver wraps his arms around Flint and holds him close instead, laying his face against the other man’s shoulder. 

“We’ll be able to have a room to ourselves when we return to Nassau,” Flint promises, speaking quietly. “If you want.”

Silver nods just once, growing warm in his captain’s arms. He feels safe here. In this cabin. In this embrace. He could get used to it. He looks forward to doing just that. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more violence in this chapter.

Silver spends the rest of the trip trying to find a moment to be alone with Flint, but one doesn’t come. Flint and Madi disappear into the cabin to talk strategy, eventually pulling Joji into their meeting, but not him. He’s glad they’re letting him step away already, though he’s getting lonely as the men haven’t exactly figured out how to have conversations with him aside from yes and no questions. Muldoon would have made an effort, but he doesn’t let that idea linger. Left to his thoughts, Silver’s rage toward Billy only grows as he struggles to talk to his crew.

And all too soon, they’re sailing into the bay of Nassau. 

The beach is full of people. He’s never seen it that crowded. It seems the entire population is waiting to see the return of Long John Silver. 

Not to waste anyone’s time, he gets in the first boat. When they’re close enough for him to start identifying people, he stands, slowly. The people on the beach gasp. Flint stands and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Silver looks at him gratefully and rolls his shoulders back. While he’s always fancied the notion of infamy, this is far from how he’d prefer it happen. But that’s not up to him, so he dons a stoic expression and looks for familiar faces. 

They land, and Silver steps carefully out of the boat, wading through the knee-deep water to the shore. Nobody says anything as he carefully steps out of the water, eyes on the ground as he focuses on maintaining his balance.

When he’s ready, he looks up, and those closest to him all look directly at his throat. The beach is silent. He takes a deep breath and continues walking. The crowd parts around him as he moves further from the water and looks around. The first person to speak, unsurprisingly, is Jack Rackham, who appears in front of him and gets much closer than anyone else has dared to so far.

“I do hope you understand, it’s really something you have to see to believe.” Jack says, skipping the hellos. “We’ve all been hearing conflicting stories, and nobody seems to know if you’re alive or dead. Yet here you stand, and you’ve made fools of all of us who doubted you.”

Silver glares at him while Jack looks at his neck. He crosses his arms and narrows his eyes. Jack gulps nervously and steps back.

“It’s really a very impressive scar,” He adds, one hand going to his own neck. Silver raises one eyebrow, letting himself be amused as Flint appears at his side. 

He reaches into his pocket and pulls a small, folded piece of paper out, moving slowly so that everyone can see what he’s doing. He holds it up high, clutched in his first two fingers, and Flint plucks it out from between them. 

“Who here knows where Billy Bones is hiding?” Flint says, speaking loudly to address the crowd. He turns in a small circle, surveying the pirates. 

“No? Nobody?” The crowd is silent. 

“That’s a shame.” Flint says, nodding to himself as he looks back at Silver, who gives him a deadpan smile. Nobody says anything. 

Flint nods again and unfolds the paper, tossing the black mark to the ground. Silver glares as people jump away from the mark, eyeing it nervously.

“Tell him we’re coming.” Flint growls, and he and Silver begin walking toward the town. 

The crowd parts for them as they make their way, and Silver keeps his eyes forward even as he feels everyone else’s on him. He has no doubt that Billy already knows they’ve arrived. His men have set out to find him already. They’ll know where he is in no time. 

They head for the tavern and settle in. Silver presses himself against a wall, with a clear view of the doors. Flint settles next to him, arms crossed. Madi arrives a few minutes later and sits nearby. They look at each other and nod, entirely silent. At some point drinks are placed in front of them, and he sips at it as he waits for news.

Dusk starts to fall, and the room gradually begins to fill with hungry customers. Silver remains vigilant, and he knows that everyone else is too. The small crowd talks idly as people chat about nothing while everyone waits.

It’s dark when DeGroot enters, stopping in the doorway to look for him. The tavern, already fairly quiet, falls silent immediately.

“We found his hideout. He’s surrounded, not far from here.” DeGroot nods in deference to Silver and steps out. 

Silver inhales slowly through his nose and stands, crossing the still quiet room and stepping out. Flint and Madi follow. 

DeGroot is waiting for him next to several horses. Silver climbs onto one and they set off, riding hard through the night. The trio follows DeGroot as he leads them from the beach to the forest, but they’re not too far into the trees when Silver spots a shack, in extreme disrepair, nestled against a large boulder. 

They slow the horses, and Silver slips off of his to approach on foot. There are roughly a dozen of his men standing in a semicircle in front of the boulder, most of them with hands on their guns or swords.

“He’s here,” DeGroot calls, and a few men look back over their shoulders. 

“He tried to run,” Dooley says, stepping aside to reveal Billy sitting on the ground. “We sliced the back of his leg to stop him.”

“You didn’t kill him, did you?” Flint asks, walking past Silver, toward the group. Madi stops next to Silver and looks at him.

“Are you ready?” She asks. He rubs his hands together and looks at her. He is. 

Seeing Billy has reignited the fire inside him, the grief and the rage of what the man has done to him turning to fuel, to energy, to violence.

“We left him alive for the Quartermaster,” Dooley confirms, but Silver doesn’t hear anything. 

He stalks by the men, into their circle. He stops a few feet away from Billy and glares at him, the weight of all the things he cannot say on the tip of his tongue. Billy straightens when he sees him, shock on his features. 

Billy opens his mouth to say something.

He doesn’t get the chance to.

Silver steps forward, grabs Billy’s face in his hands, and twists. He is grossly satisfied by the echoing crack. He pushes the body away from him and leaves everyone behind.

Silver returns to his horse, gets back on it, and turns toward Nassau Town.


	8. Chapter 8

The fire of rage that consumed him is gone as quickly as it had arrived. Killing Billy had extinguished it, and now Silver is ready for bed. In fact, he’s almost looking forward to sleeping in. 

He slows the horse down to a trot, letting Flint and Madi catch up to him. He’s in no rush to go anywhere, and he’s not ready to be alone right now. 

“How do you feel?” Flint asks. Silver looks at him and gives a thumbs up, but it’s punctuated with a small yawn. He clenches his jaw in annoyance and focuses on the road.

“Tired?” Flint asks next. Silver sags forward a little. His entire body feels like it’s about to melt. He’s not sure if it’s relief or his recovery taking longer than he’d like, but he could sleep for a week. 

“We have rooms waiting,” Madi says, and Silver smiles gratefully. “They have been ready since our arrival.”

They ride in silence for a few minutes, but Silver watches as Madi and Flint both look at him every so often, making sure that he’s okay. He wonders what they are thinking about. If it’s him or the war. 

“What now?” Flint asks as they approach Nassau Town.

“We have sent word to our spies that we have returned, and they visit us with information tomorrow.” Madi replies. “And we plan our next move while Silver sleeps in.”

Silver looks at her sharply, eyes narrowed. Maybe he’s not  _ that _ ready to sleep in. It would make him look weak. He doesn’t like when people just make assumptions on his behalf.

“Are you not retired now that you’ve killed Billy Bones?” Madi asks. Silver has to concede to that. He did want to retire after killing Billy. He just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. 

“Besides,” Madi continues, “You are still recovering. Tend to your own needs.”

Silver realizes that he has grown unused to putting his needs first in the wake of becoming a pirate. In his quest to be strong in front of his men. Flint snorts on his other side. 

“When have you known him to do that?” Flint asks. One corner of his mouth pulls into a smile and Silver and looks at Madi, raising an eyebrow curiously. 

“When his men aren’t around and he allows himself to relax,” Madi answers. Silver can’t disagree with that. 

“Nobody will see you if you’re sleeping in,” Madi promises, her tone light. Silver finds he’s alright with that. He’s gained back some of the weight he lost while he was really out of it, but he’s not back to his old self just yet. For a moment, he wonders what would happen if the Silver from two years ago could see him now. He’d be horrified, surely. But he’s also had two great loves in this time, and he thinks he probably wouldn’t trade them for anything. 

They reach the tavern soon after, and it’s not long before Silver is able to stretch out on a bed, Flint and Madi settling in on either side of him. It’s warm in the room, and the windows are open, but he’s glad to have both of them there with him. He falls into the best sleep he’s had in a long time.

The next day, everyone gathers in the tavern for a war meeting. Pirates and former slaves float up and down the stairs while Silver waits at the bar. He’s enjoying the relative peace, now that the focus is on the meeting upstairs. 

People are still staring, of course. Silver’s come to suspect that they’re never going to stop. 

However, Silver is not destined to remain alone. A figure slides onto the seat next to him, and there’s a pair of eyes on him. 

“When they first said you had died, I was not convinced,” Max says, skipping the pleasantries. “It did not seem like death could stop you.”

Silver looks at her. Max’s eyes are on his face, not his throat, and he decides that he’s a little happier to see her. 

“Is it true?” She asks, looking sad, “That you can no longer speak?”

Silver takes a long drink from his mug, setting it firmly on the counter. Max reaches out and puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“I am sorry to hear it. Your ability to talk people into belief was powerful. But you are alive. Surely that is enough.” Max’s voice softens as she speaks, and Silver finds he doesn’t mind her sympathy. He is glad to be alive, surprisingly. 

He smiles, small but grateful, and she pulls her hand back. 

“I am sure that this is not the last we will hear of you,” She says, tone even. Silver shakes his head. He takes another long sip of his drink. 

“No?” She tilts her head, looking suspiciously at him. “You cannot be saying that Long John Silver is no more?”

It’s as though he had been Atlas, holding the weight of the world on his shoulders, and now it’s gone. He’s still getting used to living without being crushed by everyone else’s burdens. He leans against the bar and smiles widely. He’s so fucking relieved.

“What will you do now?” She asks, and Silver shrugs, raising his hands in a nonchalant gesture. He’s quite certain he should be working his way through Flint’s collection of books, now that he’s got the time to. He wishes he could figure out a quicker way to talk, though Flint is growing quite adept at reading his body language already. It’s a relief to feel like they’re approaching something like their old conversations. They understood each other before he nearly died, but Silver’s positive that Flint and him have only grown closer as they’ve worked together to overcome this unexpected twist his life has taken. 

To know that Flint loves him, even after nearly dying, is a rope that Silver is clinging to for dear life as he tries to figure out how to navigate again. And now he’s found that his rage has gone. His rage at Billy. His rage at the world for all of the unending horrors its inflicted on him. He can do whatever he wants now and he has the undying support of two people who have his. He’s come to a point where he has the power to control his life and turn it around again. 

It’s not unpleasant.

Silver’s gaze has wandered as he’s fallen into thought, and he looks back at Max and shrugs again, a relaxed smile crossing his face as he relishes in the idea that he can do just about anything. 

Someone Silver doesn’t recognize appears in his field of vision, approaching them quickly. Silver stiffens and turns, but the man is looking squarely at Max.

Max follows his gaze and recognizes whoever is approaching them, and she stands to greet him. 

“I have word on Eleanor Guthrie,” The man says to her, quiet and urgent. 

Max nods and slips the man a coin, murmuring a quiet thanks. He whispers something into her ear and disappears. Silver’s eyebrows fly up as she turns to face him. 

“Would you like to hear her fate?” She asks. Silver looks at her intently and she continues, “It seems as though her family has decided to do away with her. There is a plantation in Savannah where wealthy families may secret away their members that society does not want to see. She is to be a nursemaid when the owner’s wife gives birth.”

He glances around, looking for something to write with.  He needs more information before he can take this to Flint, but he’s latched onto the idea and he can’t let it go. Max looks at him curiously. He imitates writing something down, and Max nods, standing up.

“I have paper, if you don’t mind a walk.” She says, and he stands. 

Once he’s got his hands on a piece of paper, he writes out  _ What kind of people go to this plantation? _ He holds out the paper to her and she looks back up at him. 

“People whose actions have caused great shame for their families. Who cannot be allowed to return English society, but whose families choose to send them somewhere where they will be safe and out of sight.”

Silver freezes. In this moment, all he can think about is the sudden notion that Thomas Hamilton may be alive and attainable. Then he thinks about what would happen if Flint knew that Thomas was alive. Likely, they would set sail immediately. But would Flint love him less if he knew that his first great love wasn’t dead after all?

Silver’s not sure, but he’s not sure he can keep it to himself either. Then he has another thought: if Thomas was alive, surely Flint would be further pressed to retire. The idea of removing Flint from the cause is only too appealing in Silver’s own desperation to walk away, but he thinks he’s willing to make that gamble.

Silver sighs in reluctance and bites his lip. He’s going to have to tell Flint. 

Silver gestures to her to follow and heads back to the tavern. 

“Do you need me to find someone for you?” Max asks as they walk.  

He shakes his head. If Thomas is alive, they’re setting sail immediately. If Thomas is on a plantation, they’ll take it. Madi can recruit from it. He considers it further as they re-enter the tavern and climb the steps. Flint will burn the place down himself to get to Thomas. He’s sure of it. He just hopes that Thomas will be willing to share Flint, if all goes well. 

When he reaches the landing, Silver finds himself at the edge of a very crowded room. But everybody knows who he is, and it’s not hard to wade through the sea of people until he steps into Flint’s line of sight. 

Sure enough, Flint looks up from the map he’s poring over and they lock eyes. He straightens immediately, watching as Silver approaches.

“What’s wrong?” Flint asks immediately, worry settling into his features with frightening ease. Then his gaze shifts, and he looks at Max curiously. 

Silver motions for the captain to follow and steps away.

He hears Flint excuse himself and the man joins them moments later.

“What is it?” He asks, and Silver gestures to Max. 

_ Tell him _ . Silver mouths the words.

“About the plantation?” Max asks, looking between him and Flint. Silver nods once and looks to Flint, his eyes wide.

Max shrugs and repeats the information about Eleanor and the plantation and who lives there, and Silver watches as Flint absorbs her words. Then his face changes, and Flint nearly stumbles like he’s been knocked off balance. 

Silver nods at Max, mouthing a  _ thank you  _ at her. She nods and disappears, still looking perplexed. 

Flint straightens and steps away from Silver, looking at the ground for a long moment. Silver is about to reach out, nudge him to make sure the other man is okay, when Flint looks back up.

“You’re trying to tell me that you think Thomas could be there,” He says after a moment. Silver nods and crosses his arms, looking at Flint’s face. He tries to gauge how quickly they’ll be on the water. 

“And it’s in Savannah?” Flint asks, looking back at the strategy meeting carrying on behind them. Silver nods. Flint strokes his beard, before finally nodding. He reaches out and puts one hand on Silver’s shoulder.

“We need to discuss this more,” Flint says, looking back at the crowd again. Silver’s eyebrows fly up in surprise and his mouth falls open into a small  _ o _ . He’d thought they would set sail immediately. But he closes his mouth and nods. 

He, Flint, and Madi convene in his room after Flint dismisses the meeting. 

“Mr. Silver would like to go to Savannah,” Flint starts. 

“What’s in Savannah?” Madi asks, raising her eyebrows at this change in plan.

Flint looks at Silver, who hasn’t moved from his place in the corner. 

“A ghost.” He answers, and Silver frowns. 

“A ghost?” Madi repeats, crossing her arms. “That’s not very promising.”

Silver steps closer to Flint, getting in his face. 

“ _ Thomas _ ,” Silver insists, forcing the word out. It hurts. His eyes water. His throat screams. Ironic, he thinks, given that his voice is too quiet. If he hadn’t gotten so close to Flint, he’s not sure the captain would have heard it. 

Flint looks like he’s been slapped and he steps back.

“You have no idea if he’s there or not,” Flint replies, voice hard. Silver turns away, looking at Madi. She stands, one hand over her mouth, staring at him. He looks at her curiously.

“Your voice,” Madi says, lowering her hand away from her face. “That sounded… horrendous.”

Silver frowns and turns away, disgusted with himself for even trying. It hadn’t hurt any less since the last time he tried to talk. It hadn’t sounded any better. Once again, he resigns himself to silence. 

A gentle hand touches his arm and he looks back up. Madi is looking at him, concerned.

“I meant only that it seemed to cause you great pain.” She amends. “You should not have done that if it was going to hurt.”

Silver shrugs away her arm and stalks to the stack of papers and pencil he’s got on the table.

_ Whether or not Thomas is there, it’s a plantation we can free and there will be new recruits to the cause. _ He resists the urge to crumple the paper and throw it at Flint, instead handing it over as calmly as possible. Flint reads the note aloud and Silver lets himself look back at Madi. She seems to be considering it, at least. 

“If they’re people that have their own anger at England, I would welcome them,” Madi agrees easily. “If we’re freeing them from labor.” 

Flint looks uneasy.

“What if Thomas isn’t there?” Flint finally asks. Silver has no answer for him. 

“We’ll still be here for you,” Madi answers, and Silver tries to be hopeful. 

“Either way, we burn a plantation to the ground,” Flint muses. 

“Either way, we burn a plantation to the ground,” Madi agrees. 

“I suppose it’s worth a try,” Flint says. 

“You’re going to explain who this Thomas is, right?” Madi asks. 

They’re back on the water in record time. While Flint giving all of the necessary commands, Madi corners Silver in the cabin. He’s surprised to see that she’s angry. 

“You know that if he is there that the captain will lose interest in fighting.” Her tone brooks no arguments.  

He nods.

“I hope that he is alive, for Captain Flint’s sake. But things may unravel if he wants to retire too soon.” She continues, giving him a hard look before leaving him alone. 


	9. Chapter 9

They reach Savannah and Flint sets off immediately to lead a small team to scout out the plantation. It’s well into the night when they return and Silver is still up, having spent the day anxiously waiting. 

He finally stops pacing when he makes out Flint’s face in the first return boat. Silver knows immediately that they’ve found Thomas. Flint looks nearly awestruck. There’s a faint smile on his face, but he’s lighter. Like a man who has shed whatever burdens him.

Silver has never seen Flint look happy. It’s completely alien to him. 

When Flint has fully climbed aboard, he looks directly at Silver.

“He’s going to like you,” Flint murmurs for only him to hear, erasing any doubt that his existence would pose a conflict. “I promise.”

Flint steps away to rally the crew and spread the word of their success. Silver returns to the cabin. Madi has been dozing in her hammock, but she stirs as he enters. 

“Did they find him?” She asks, still somewhat asleep. Silver steps close enough for her to see him and gives her a thumbs up. 

“That’s good,” She mumbles, eyes drifting shut. He moves toward his own hammock and climbs in.

He’s almost asleep when Flint returns. When the captain approaches, he lays still and lets the other man tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. Silver rewards him with a small smile. The captain snorts in the distance, but he’s already snoozing again.

***

He sleeps through the strategy meeting, but wakes in time to be present while they brief the crew on the plan of attack. After that, Silver stays on the boat while the majority of the crew set off to liberate the plantation. Someone has to man the ship, and he’s no longer a pirate, so he passes the time staring at the horizon and willing everyone to return in one piece. 

There’s not much else to do, and he doesn’t have the patience to read one of the captain’s books, not when he’s too worried about the captain himself. He can’t even sleep anymore, as he’s finally feeling well enough to stay awake through the day without needing a break.

His patience is rewarded as dusk falls. Dark plumes of smoke start to rise into the sky and paint the horizon. Flint and Madi have succeeded. The smoke only intensifies as it gets darker, obscuring the stars entirely. 

It’s a while before he sees boats approaching, and they must have stolen some when they set off, as there appears to be a sizable amount of people are returning. Silver watches and stands by while his men help get the returning victors on board. Flint is first, covered in soot, but grinning ear to ear, nearly feral. He locks eyes with Silver and his smile somehow grows, his eyes lighting up.

He starts to make a beeline for Silver as a tall, equally sooty blond man appears next to him. The man is also smiling, but his is not nearly so monstrous, and instead just seems delighted. Neither of them appear to be seriously injured, aside from a bandage tied around Flint’s bicep, and he sighs in relief. 

For a moment, Silver has an image in his head of Flint and this man embracing tenderly as the town burns in the background.

His thought is interrupted by Flint, who grabs him by the shoulders and pulls until their foreheads touch. Flint exhales heavily. The captain seems exhausted, suddenly. 

“Thank you,” Flint says softly. “For giving me the greatest gift imaginable.”

He steps back, looking from the blond to Silver.

“We set Savannah on fire. May I introduce you to Thomas Hamilton?”

Silver extends his hand, letting the other man clasp it in both of his and shake vigorously. 

“Thank you for finding me,” Thomas says while looking him up and down quickly. Silver nods and moves to pull away his hand, but Thomas grips it tighter and steps in closer. 

“And I cannot thank you enough,” He continues, “For being there for James after Miranda. He’s told me how much he values you. I very much look forward to getting acquainted.” 

At that, Silver gives him a small but genuine smile and forces himself to relax. He’s only just realizing how tense he has gotten since taking Thomas’ hand. He knows that his position with Flint is under no threat, but he can’t help that he keeps feeling like it is. If he can love more than one person, so can others.  

Madi appears, a book clutched to her chest. Silver turns to her and looks her over, relieved to see that she also looks uninjured. He points at the book, raising a curious eyebrow.

“For you.” She says simply, holding it out. He takes it, reads the cover, and then immediately looks back up at Madi, dumbfounded.

“Thomas retrieved it from their library. After Captain Flint told him about you, he thought it might help.” Madi tells him, and he immediately looks to Thomas, shocked. 

“I thought it prudent.” The man replies, shrugging. 

Silver looks back down at the cover. It’s a book of lessons on how to speak through simple gestures and signs. He opens it and flips through the illustrations. There’s an entire alphabet. Silver can count on one hand the number of times anyone has given him a gift. He’s not used to people thinking of him, to people caring about him. He’s only just met Thomas, and the man has provided him with a new voice.

He gives Madi a crushing hug, then looks to Thomas, regarding him far more kindly than he had moments ago.

“It’s time to go,” Flint says, and steps off, barking orders to get them underway. 


	10. Chapter 10

The cabin’s getting crowded. It’s a good thing Silver’s going to stop sailing after this. And Flint, eventually. He’s not quite sure what Thomas is going to do yet, but there’s time enough to figure it out. 

Thomas inadvertently takes charge when they enter the cabin. He’s talking from the moment the door is closed behind them. It’s horrifying, what Silver hears about Bedlam. The rage with which the other man regards his circumstances is not unlike Flint’s, and Silver wonders what it would be like to have known them ten years and a lifetime ago. 

He watches Flint listening in earnest, as if he’s still not sure that Thomas is real. 

Flint’s expression is startlingly familiar, and it takes Silver a moment to figure out where he’s seen it before. He’s not thrilled to realize the captain has used it on him. People don’t look at him like that. In awe and fear, maybe, but not like that. 

He doesn’t deserve to be looked at like that. 

Silver’s positive that something is going to ruin all of this and that this will become another of the unending torments that make up his life. He’s not fated to have a happy ending.

Although, all may not be lost, not now that he’s gotten the book. It’s been clutched in his arms since Madi handed it to him, but in the wake of Thomas’ stories, he has yet to open it. 

Silver looks down and flips it open. 

Flint begins telling Thomas his half of the story. Silver’s heard that before, so he steps away and sits down on the floor. He begins to study the letters of the alphabet, slowly mimicking them to get a feel for it. 

Madi joins him, studying the letters as he goes. They pass a few minutes focusing intently on the book until they are interrupted by Thomas standing suddenly, his chair toppling behind him.

“You killed my father?”

The pair look up to see Thomas staring at Flint in sheer disbelief. Flint stands too, looking at Thomas unflinchingly.

“Yes,” Flint replies. “I wanted him dead. Miranda wanted him dead. I thought you had died because of him. I had a score to settle.”

“I see,” Thomas replies, “He sent me to Bedlam. I had no love for him.”

Silver and Madi glance at each other, then back to the conversation at hand.

“I have done many things in the past ten years. I have been violent. I have committed atrocities. But I cannot change them, nor can I apologize for all of them. I can only ask you to accept me as I am and trust that our cause is righteous now.” Flint says, his tone earnest and pleading. 

“Of course I’ll stand with you,” Thomas promises.

Silver watches as Flint exhales in relief and resumes his tale. Madi goes back to studying the book. After a moment, Silver joins her. They carry on until Flint gets to Woodes Rogers and the pardons.

“My pardons?” Thomas asks. 

“Your pardons,” Flint confirms. “But he rescinded the offer and now he’s dead. The pirates have taken back Nassau. Those pardons don’t mean anything anymore. They would not have worked.”

“I understand that,” Thomas replies, “But if you were leading the resistance against them, you had no faith in them to begin with. What happened?”

“Miranda and I tried to make our peace in Charlestown and she died for it. England took everything away from me and I cannot take a pardon that forgives me for  _ my _ actions. So there will be no place for England in Nassau. Not again. Not if we have anything to say about it.” Flint says. He glances at Madi, who nods affirmatively and stands up, crossing the cabin to stand by his side. 

Silver closes the book but makes no move to join them. 

Thomas reaches across the desk and covers Flint’s hand with his. 

“I have no fondness for England,” Thomas says, face solemn. 

“We are fighting to break Nassau from its rule,” Madi tells him. “We have liberated two of its plantations, and are planning the next one now. Then we’ll move on to the next island.”

Thomas tilts his head, intrigued. 

“A revolution? Would you tell me more?” He asks, and Madi looks at Flint, who shrugs and cedes his seat to her. The two fall into conversation immediately and Flint moves away to join Silver.

“He’s going to ask her questions all night long,” Flint says as he arrives at Silver’s side. “And he’s going to take apart every argument of hers to get to the bottom of it.” 

Silver grins. It seems as though Thomas and Madi are going to get along. 

“Thomas is a hard man not to like,” Flint says, echoing Silver’s thoughts. Flint seems so relaxed. He has ever since all four of them gathered in the cabin. He’s glad to see the captain so at ease.

Flint deserves it, after everything that’s happened since Charlestown. 

Silver wants things to stay like this. After his leg, after the storm, after the doldrums, after their tense arrival at Maroon Island, after Woodes Rogers, after Billy betraying everyone and nearly killing him, after he woke up with no voice, somehow everything seems to be going well. It terrifies him, but he’s trying to believe that this pattern of luck can continue. 

Silver glances at Flint, who is still looking at Thomas.

“You knew that if Thomas was alive, I would want nothing more than to step away with him and you, didn’t you?” Flint asks, slowly turning his head to look at him. “You found out about the plantation and realized that if we successfully found him, my rage over his loss would cease to be a driving force behind my motivation for fighting.”

It’s not a question, but an accusation. Silver crosses his arms, challenging Flint to berate him. 

“I wish I could be mad at you,” Flint tells him. “But we will have to re-address my position in this war now, won’t we?” 

Silver flips the book back open to the alphabet and slowly spells out  _ up to you _ . 

Although, he is working on a plan. He always is. It’s clear that Thomas is growing invested in the cause as he and Madi speak. And while Long John Silver and Captain Flint might be the faces of the pirate half of the army, that’s also changeable. His role is already shifting since his retirement.

He can make this all work. There’s a solution. 

But for the rest of the night, he contents himself with watching Flint look back and forth between him and Thomas in that combination of awe and tenderness that scares him and forces himself to enjoy it instead.

The trip back to Maroon Island is not long, but they gather for a war meeting in the captain’s cabin the next day anyway. Silver participates in this one because it’s going to define the course of their retirement. Thomas and Joji stand by with varying degrees of interest. Silver knows that Madi’s still annoyed with him, but she hides it well enough as she takes command of the conversation. 

“Captain Flint, have you considered your options?” She asks first. 

“I cannot retire immediately,” He promises her, and Madi nods and puts her hands on her hips, appeased yet curious. “But it may be time for me to fight less. I can advise you and help with planning and organizing, but perhaps without being on the front line.”

Madi looks at him for a long moment. 

“Where will you stay if you are not fighting?” She asks. 

“Your home or Nassau. We’ll follow you and be wherever you need to be,” Flint says. “On Nassau we can Miranda’s house as a base.”

As Flint talks, Silver realizes that until they leave for good, he’s never going to be fully excluded from this war. He idly wonders how Thomas will fare. His impression of the man is that while he’s not to be crossed, Thomas is not much of a fighter. 

With that settled, The topic shifts to recruiting more pirates. 

_ Get Rackham and Bonny. Get Blackbeard to endorse it. They’re forces on Nassau who will spread our message while raiding English ships _ . Silver writes on one note, and hands it to Madi, who reads it out for everyone. They begin to discuss it, but Silver stops listening because he’s just realized there’s only one person in Nassau Town they need to get on their side.

_ We need to talk to Max immediately. She knows everything that’s happening on Nassau and on other islands _ . Silver hands this note to Flint, simply because he’s not sure if Madi and Max have ever spoken. 

“Who is Max?” Flint asks, and Silver has to look at him in disbelief. 

He writes out an explanation of just how vital Max is, and makes sure they know to talk to her. Silver’s watched as she’s slowly accumulated power in Nassau, and he’s not going to miss an opportunity to ally with her.

They adjust their course to sail to Nassau instead. The discussion continues, but Silver feels confident he can slip away. They have grounded Flint and that’s all that matters to him. He retrieves his book to continue studying, but sees that Thomas is looking at him and ignoring the conversation. Silver shoves a pencil and a few scraps of paper into his pocket before heading outside. He doesn’t wait for Thomas to follow. 

Thomas closes the door, stepping into the sunlight. The man is far taller than he is, and Silver squints up at him. 

“I’m not precisely sure if I’m going to have a role in all of this,” Thomas initiates the conversation. “James really is far more skilled of a strategist than I.”

Silver’s good at strategy too, but not in circumstances of war. He’s just good at escaping with his life. 

“He’s also a better fighter,” Thomas admits, and Silver smiles to himself as his theory is confirmed. He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket, laying it flat on the book to write. 

_ I only know how to fight because of him _ . He’d never admit this to anyone else, but Silver doubts that Thomas is going to go around telling people. Thomas smiles at the paper. 

“I’ve never seen him fight anyone, actually,” Thomas admits, “Not with a sword at least. But if he’s as good with a sword as he is with his mouth, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Silver snorts at Thomas’ brazen comment. It’s true. Flint is good with his mouth. And a sword. 

“I’m talking about debate, I’ll have you know,” Thomas can evidently see where his thoughts are going, but Silver rolls his eyes and chuckles. 

His laughter is quiet now too, and that might be the strangest thing about his silence. He can’t remember the last time he really laughed at something, but he’s convinced it had to have made a sound. But he doesn’t remember and it doesn’t matter anymore.

“Your condition is a recent development, isn’t it?” Thomas asks. 

Silver has been wearing a shirt that covers his neck somewhat, but it’s hard to find clothes that cover his scar fully without feeling stifled by them. He’s just getting used to the stares as much as he can. 

_ I’ve only known Captain Flint for ten months. _

Thomas’ jaw drops. 

“That’s it?” He asks. Silver looks at the man’s shocked expression and laughs again. It’s surreal, how much he has lived through in such a short time. Thomas’ reaction reminds him why he tries not to think about it. He blinks, and the humor of it is gone. 

_ I lost my leg four months ago. My voice, one.  _

“Well,” Thomas says. “I do understand your choice to retire now. And I do know a little of what it’s like to have something precious ripped from you and your whole world turned upside down. I can only hope our paths improve from here.”

Silver looks quickly at him. Thomas shrugs.

“It does get easier, with time, you know. When you can move on with people who care about you.” 

_ I know.  _ Silver writes and promptly doesn’t elaborate. He’s not sure where Thomas is going with this. 

“Have you tried to find peace with your situation?” Thomas asks. That’s certainly not what Silver thought Thomas was going to say, and he’s taken aback.

He looks curiously at Thomas and asks,  _ Have you? _

“Well, I’m much more optimistic today than I was yesterday,” Thomas grins. “But on the plantation, I tried very hard. Never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted James storming the place and sweeping me away in such a heroic fashion. So I was content with my circumstances. Anything was better than Bedlam.” He replies. 

Silver takes a moment to process Thomas’ words. He’s not sure how to answer.

_ You don’t have to have a role in this if you don’t wish to. _ He finally writes, passing the note to Thomas. 

“I suppose not. But I almost feel obligated to help if I can. To be productive for myself again.”

_ Whatever you wish to contribute, they will find a place for you _ . Silver can promise that, because the war is large and full of moving parts.

He ends up spending a good deal of time focusing on his book after that, because Thomas gets spectacularly seasick not long after their conversation ends. Flint stays with Thomas, consoling him as he retches. 

Silver chooses to stay away from the awful sounds, and ends up practicing the alphabet with Madi. Her attitude toward him is still cool, but she seems just as keen on avoiding Thomas as he does. He’s never actually seen anyone turn green before. It’s not flattering. 


	11. Chapter 11

By the time they drop anchor at Nassau, he’s working on the other signs, while trying to figure out some shorthand to make up for the lack of nautical words in the book.

Instead of heading to Nassau Town, they send Madi and the crew there while Silver, Flint, and Thomas head inland, to prepare Miranda’s house. 

Madi is going to find Max and talk to her. It was decided that Madi would go, as she’ll be in command for far longer than any of them will. 

When they arrive, Silver stays on the porch while Flint and Thomas go inside. The two of them are discussing Miranda, and Thomas is mourning her loss. It seems better for him to leave them alone. He didn’t know her.

He doesn’t know anything about plants, but since he has nothing better to do, Silver pokes around the garden. It’s a mess. He’s also not sure which plants are good or bad, if anything is salvageable or weeds. Nothing looks green, and he concludes that it’s probably all dead. 

Silver decides to clear the whole garden. He may as well start fresh. So he carefully sits down and gets comfortable in the dirt before digging into the roots of the nearest plant and pulling. The plant comes free immediately, and he makes quick work of the rest of the plot. 

He’s glad none of the men are here to see him sitting in the middle of a great patch of dirt, covered in sweat and dead foliage. It’s a far cry from the man he was a few weeks ago. 

The next step is probably to disperse new seeds, but he doesn’t have any. There are probably some in the house. The sun is still out but enough time has passed that Silver sneaks into the house to poke around for gardening supplies.

Thomas is seated at a table, looking at a portrait. Flint steps out of the small kitchen at the sound of his entrance, a cup of tea in each hand. 

“Tell me,” Flint says, looking him up and down. “Are you as skilled a gardener as you are a chef?”

Silver smiles vaguely, waggles his eyebrows, and raises his hands in a gesture that doesn’t answer the question. He walks to the table, curious to see what is taking up all of Thomas’ attention. 

He recognizes Miranda, but the painted version of Thomas is clean-shaven, while the man across from him sports a beard and a more haggard expression, though he does perk up when Flint places a mug of tea in front of him.

Silver pulls out the chair across from Thomas and sits down. Flint stands between them at the end of the table, and he nudges the portrait away to make room for his own mug of tea.

“Do you want some?” Flint asks Silver, gesturing to the tea. Tea doesn’t sound unpleasant, so he nods and Flint disappears back into the kitchen. 

Silver’s still looking at the place where Flint was just standing when Thomas speaks to him. 

“Did you know that you’ve got dirt on your forehead?” He asks, and Silver shakes his head, moving to brush it away. Thomas frowns and reaches out, batting his hand away to fix it himself. 

They lock eyes for a moment, as Thomas clears the last of it away. Then Flint returns, placing a fresh mug of tea in front of him. 

Whatever impression Flint has of the scene, he doesn’t share, instead deciding to discuss Silver.

“He said he was an excellent chef, you know, when I first let him join the crew,” Flint tells Thomas. Silver feels his pockets for the pencil and scraps of paper he’s stashed away, and wastes no time writing his retort. 

_ I said whatever I had to say to get onto your ship. _ He reminds Flint, who nods. 

“Are you a better chef now?” Thomas asks. Silver smiles ruefully and shakes his head. Cooking is never going to be a strong suit of his. He’s cut his losses and moved on. 

“Hopefully gardening will suit you,” Flint says.

“Or at least end with better results than your cooking,” Thomas adds. Silver looks at him, bewildered. He doesn’t understand how Thomas has the gall to be so presumptuous. They barely know each other. Although, he’s said far worse things to strangers, so he’s not one to talk.

As he narrows his eyes at Thomas, the other man only smiles wider. 

“You’ll get used to it,” Flint says, looking from Thomas to him. 

Silver raises one eyebrow at Flint and mouths the word  _ Oh? _

“He’s quick-witted when you least expect it,” Flint continues. “Remind you of someone?”

Silver rolls his eyes. 

“Your captain does think we’re going to get along,” Thomas agrees. Silver looks between them, not sure when they ganged up on him, but he’s got no qualms about Thomas. He’s starting to like the man.

“When you’re talking like you used to, I’m not going to have a moment’s peace between the two of you,” Flint grumbles into his tea. 

“I’m quite looking forward to getting my hands on that book and studying it,” Thomas says. “Or, you could teach me.”

Silver responds by standing, retrieving the book, and thumping it down in front of Thomas as he goes off to refill his mug. Thomas laughs in delight and Silver is secretly pleased.

When he leaves the kitchen, Madi is walking through the front door. 

“I like her.” Madi says in lieu of greeting. “Max truly does know all of the goings on here and throughout these islands.”

“Is she willing to join us?” Flint asks. Madi doesn’t answer at first, eyeing the cup in Silver’s hands before slowly looking up to meet his eyes. He holds it out for her to take and she does, sitting in the seat he’s just vacated. 

“She is interested in the proposition,” Madi continues. Silver leans against the doorframe to listen, shifting his weight from the peg. His leg has been bothering him all day, but he’s been ignoring it. It hurts whenever he spends too much time wearing it. The boot that covers what’s left of his leg is too small and it chafes in the worst way.

He knows he has been wearing it far too much, but he hasn’t been able to take it off in his revenge quest, and then they rescued Thomas. He’s barely been on solid land until today. 

Madi is still outlining her conversation with Max, so he tunes back in an attempt to distract himself. She seems thrilled to have found Max, who understands what Madi is fighting for and why. It seems that Max is open to cooperating, if all of the pirates on Nassau join the cause. 

That won’t change their usual activities of plundering British ships for the most part, but Max has requested that all slaving ships they encounter be freed immediately. Madi informs them that she had agreed on the spot, and had already been planning on doing so. 

Flint asks about Bonny and Rackham, and Madi says that they too are considering joining the war. She mentions something about Max having quite a vested interest in Bonny’s activities, and Silver makes a mental note of that for later. 

His legend is already re-shaping itself in Nassau Town, he learns next. The crew have done a wonderful job convincing everyone that Billy _ had  _ killed Long John Silver, only to be avenged by his ghost.  It’s not the strongest lie he’s ever come up with, but as the rumor spreads it will become legend, especially since he’s disappeared again. 

This narrative he is content to watch shift beyond his control. It will explain if he needs to return, but any appearance he makes will be shrouded in mystery and will only make him more powerful. For a moment, he wonders if they still have the clothes he wore when Billy attacked him. He could even paint his neck red, if he wanted to look especially gruesome. The ghost of Long John Silver needs to be a convincing threat. Maybe he will play the part if he has to. He’s only ever going to make appearances to inspire the men. It’s not like he’ll be doing any real fighting.

Madi seems quite pleased with the way events are unfolding, and she and Flint fall into a discussion that quickly consumes the pair and they talk well into the evening. Silver’s pretty satisfied with the state of things himself.

When Madi joins him in bed late that night, it is long after Silver has turned in. He feigns sleep, for long enough that she actually falls asleep. Try as he might, he can’t join her and he remains awake, staring at the wall. 

He gives up and grabs his crutch, deciding to go outside. It might help. He’s not sure. He moves slowly, trying to make sure each step is quiet, so that nobody else will wake up. 

He’s not sure what time it is when he slips outside but the moon is setting.

And he’s not alone. 

“Can’t sleep?” Thomas asks. 

Silver shakes his head. Thomas is sitting in a chair that he’s brought outside, but he stands and takes in Silver’s appearance, from the hair that’s long since come untied, to his bare chest, to his crutch and missing leg. Thomas seems to hesitate, then dashes by him, murmuring something about getting a second chair. 

Silver hasn’t moved by the time Thomas returns with a seat for him. He wasn’t planning on sitting, but it feels rude not to now, so he sits next to Thomas. His hair is falling into his face and he pushes it back, marveling at how long it’s gotten. 

He glances at Thomas, who has gone back to staring out at the sky. Silver reaches out and nudges him gently. Thomas jumps slightly, but looks back at him.

“Yes?” He asks, and Silver reaches for Thomas’ hand. Thomas looks bemused as Silver takes it, turning it over so he can write  _ Can’t sleep? _ into his palm. 

Thomas relaxes when he realizes what Silver is doing, then shakes his head. 

“I can’t help but wonder about Miranda. What it must have felt like to come here after losing everything. For her to stay here while James went off in pursuit of my father. To stay here any time James left, unsure if he’d be returning. I’ve been wondering if she felt just as imprisoned as I did.” He admits, looking away from Silver. “I think it’s unfair that she’s not here to watch you burn everything as she wanted, and that I’m here instead.” 

Silver hasn’t thought about Miranda with any of the depth that he’s realizing he probably should have. He only knew her so briefly. Yet Flint was so haunted by her ghost that Silver is nearly afraid of her, in a cosmic sense. That thinking of her will incite another storm that will wash away all of their progress.

Thomas makes a small sound and shrugs, still looking at the sky.

His leg goes cold and all thoughts of Miranda fly out of his head as he suddenly feels an itch deep inside his missing foot. In a second, it is replaced by the sensation of fire and Silver hisses in pain and wraps his hands around his stump. It doesn’t help. 

Then there is a hand on his shoulder and it is Silver’s turn to jump in surprise.

“Are you okay?” Thomas asks, and Silver nods. He grits his teeth and lets go of his leg, taking a deep breath. He can’t make the sensation go away. There’s really no use trying. 

“Does it hurt?” Thomas asks, and Silver nods, but shakes his head a moment later. He’s really not sure how to describe it. 

“Care to explain?” Thomas asks next, settling back into his seat and holding out a hand. 

Silver glances at him, then at his outstretched palm. He moves a little closer to Thomas and takes his hand. 

_ Missing foot hurts _ . He writes, wincing. Thomas frowns. 

“That can happen?” Thomas asks. Silver nods wearily. It’s already dying down. 

_ Not often. _

“Thank heavens for that,” Thomas replies. “Should I get someone?” 

The thought of waking Flint or Madi sends him veering toward panic. Appropriately, a surge of fire shoots through his leg again and he hunches over, trying to ride the wave of pain. 

“I’m getting someone,” Thomas insists, starting to stand.

“ _ No. _ ” Silver says instinctively, not thinking. The sound that comes out is barely a whisper and it’s a scratchy, ugly thing that sounds nothing like how he used to. His throat burns and that, thankfully distracts him for a moment. One pain assuaging another is not fun, and he’s positive that he’d never like to do that again. The fire in his leg dulls as he awkwardly puts a hand over his throat and looks away. 

Thomas is looking at him. He can see it out of the corner of his eye. He just sighs through his nose and reaches for his crutch, moving to go back inside. He’s undone something between them, and now Thomas is seeing him at his weakest. He’s sure that Thomas will think less of him now. He needs to get away. 

“Wait, you don’t have to go. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in some way.” Thomas says.

Silver wants to go inside, but he hesitates. His return would mean risking waking Madi, and he’s not sure where he stands with her right now. But he’s thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of Thomas and he’s sure that Thomas is only asking him to stay out of pity, so his position is not ideal. 

“Could I be of any help?”

Silver wants to run away, but cautiously settles back in instead. He wouldn’t make it far on foot if he did try.

_ No. _ He mouths to Thomas. 

“Does it hurt to talk?” Thomas asks. 

_ Yes.  _

“Is your name really John?” Thomas asks, and he’s not expecting that question. 

If Thomas is asking he’s probably realized that it isn’t, Silver thinks. It’s true, and it hasn’t been his name for long, but he’s been through a lot since he took it. As John Silver, he has become someone that people talk about. He’s given himself a story and a fate and people think about him now. It’s something to define himself by. He shrugs and reaches toward Thomas’ hand.

_ I like it. _

“As long as you like it, I suppose that’s all that really matters.” Thomas agrees.

The fire in his leg that had dulled suddenly returns. Silver inhales and stiffens. He accidentally clenches Thomas’ hand in his as he reacts, but releases it and jumps away. 

“Strong grip,” Thomas comments. “Are you all right?”

Silver nods, forcing himself to relax. 

“Would it be helpful if I talked to distract you?” Thomas offers. Silver looks at Thomas gratefully. He sags against the chair.

“Anything in particular you’d like to hear?” Thomas extends his hand back to Silver, who gratefully takes the peace offering. 

_ Young Flint. _

“His time in the navy?” Thomas asks, eyes bright. Silver smiles just a bit. Thomas sighs wistfully. 

“You know, I could talk about James McGraw for the rest of the night and all through tomorrow, and I’d still be unable to paint you a full portrait of his complexities.” 

Thomas starts talking about their first meeting, his reluctance at the situation immediately disappearing when he met Flint, and how delightful it was to talk to Flint, who was more well-read than anyone else Thomas knew at the time, and who had by far the most interesting opinions.

It’s flattering and nostalgic and soothing, and Silver gets comfortable enough to doze off. 

He’s woken by Flint, who nudges his shoulder and presents him with a fresh cup of tea. 

Silver takes it gratefully, blinking at the sunshine streaming through the window. He’s back in his bed.

“Thomas told me what happened last night,” Flint murmurs. Silver keeps his expression neutral as he drinks his tea.

“He brought you back inside,” Flint adds. Silver raises his eyebrows.

“And insisted I apologize on his behalf for being so forward, as he only wanted you to be comfortable” Flint says, a small smile on his lips. It falls away as he has a thought, and Silver looks at him curiously.

“You do like him, right?” Flint asks, and he looks concerned that he hadn’t asked sooner.

Silver slowly sits up. He spells  _ yes _ with his free hand and Flint looks relieved. 

“That’s yes, I hope?” He asks. Silver grins. 

“That’s good,” Flint says, sitting next to Silver. “He likes you too.”

The confirmation warms him. 

“Of course,” Flint says, as he looks at Silver with desire in his eyes, “He doesn’t like you as much as I do.”

 

11.

He doesn’t get a chance to thank Thomas, but he’s not sure how he would do that anyway, as he really doesn’t want to bring it up again.

They finalize the plans of Silver’s retirement that day. He’s going to stay with everyone until Flint is ready to move on, then they and Thomas will decide where to go. Aside from traveling between Nassau and Maroon Island, Flint’s grounded. The captain seems unconcerned with this, but Silver can tell that it’s still bothering Madi, who says nothing.

Madi will take command of the Walrus when Flint decides that it is time to step away. If Silver or Flint are direly needed, they’ll come when called. Silver is already planning on acquiring a new boat for such circumstances. He already has a name picked out. 

Long John Silver will become a curse to the English, a threat, that if invoked, will come to wreak havoc and rain fire down upon them and they will fear him.

But until that time comes, he’s going to be drinking tea and reading all of Flint and Thomas’ favorite books. And maybe learning how to cultivate a garden. He doesn’t really have anything planned too firmly. Anything could happen between now and him leaving Long John Silver behind for good. 

A few days pass before he can get a moment alone with Madi. He has a note that’s been burning a hole in his pocket, and he needs to give it to her. She’s busier with each passing day.

_ I love you. _ The note says. _ I always will. But we must break off our engagement. You cannot tether yourself to me while I disappear into the shadows. _

In the past months as he’s recovered from his near-death experience, he had never felt more sure that he couldn’t let his involvement in the war continue. The war consumes all of Madi’s time now, and he can’t let himself get swept up in it. He can’t let himself be a distraction to her. At this point, he’d only slow her down, and he loves her too much to do that to her.

Madi reads the note and takes Silver’s hands in hers. 

“I understand,” She says. Silver looks at her solemnly. 

_ I love you _ , he mouths, holding one hand up in the sign for love. 

“I will always love you, John Silver,” She promises him. “But our paths are no longer intertwined. It would not be fair to either of us.”

Silver hugs her close. 

***

They liberate the next two plantations. Word spreads. The rebellion grows and soon they begin to hear word that there are plans on other islands, and that they are rallying together against England. Something very big is on the horizon.

Silver spends most of his time drinking tea and reading with Thomas. It’s disgustingly domestic. He’s not going to tell anyone how much he enjoys it.

***

“At this rate,” Flint says at one strategy meeting that Silver happens to sit in on, “You could sack Boston.”

The crowd breaks into excited murmurs and Flint grins. 

***

Silver gets his hands on a boat and sets about claiming the captain’s cabin for himself so that he can rename the ship. His ship. He may be retired, but there’s something wonderful about having his own boat. 

“The Ghost?” Flint asks when Silver signs the new name. “There’s no fucking way I’m letting you call it the Ghost.”

“I like it” Thomas pipes up from the window seat he’s been reading in, “The Ghost of Long John Silver. It’s clever. Ominous.”

_ I agree with Thomas _ . Silver signs, grinning widely.

Flint groans.

***

That night, Silver is nearly ready to leave the cabin when Flint enters. He’s been sitting behind the desk, thinking about the unusual chain of events that brought him this captaincy.

_ I thought you left. _ Silver signs slowly, more for Flint’s benefit than his own. He’s nearly memorized the book, and they’ve developed and written down their own shorthand as well. Thomas is the best at it out of all them, but Silver has spent most of his time with him and Thomas is always pressing him for an opinion on whatever they’re talking about. 

Frankly, he won’t let Silver go without contributing to the conversation and they’ve had more than one argument where Silver has given up on signing to write out furious notes that properly address his thoughts while Thomas has read over his shoulder. As he’s gotten better at it, he’s using less and less paper.

Flint is getting better at it, as he is able to spend more and more time with Silver and Thomas these days. Madi is slowly cutting him out of the war. Soon they’ll be able to leave entirely. 

“I came back,” Flint replies with a shrug. 

_ Why? _ Silver asks, straightening in his seat.

“I thought,” Flint takes a step closer to him. “We should christen your boat.”

Silver stands, leaning on the desk. He tilts his head and raises one eyebrow. He thinks he knows what’s on the captain’s mind.

After, when they are sweaty and spent and laying together in the bed, Flint looks at him.

“What are you thinking about?” Flint asks, and Silver takes a deep breath as he figures out how to word it. 

_ You. Thomas. Everything since _ \- at that, he gestures to his throat. 

“Had Billy not attacked you, I don’t know if I would have ever said anything.” Flint replies. 

_ Really? _ Silver prompts him. 

“It took my nearly losing you to realize just how badly I wanted you,” Flint says, voice husky. “And then you brought Thomas back to me. I am forever in your debt, Mr. Silver.”

_ Where is Thomas? _

Flint shrugs.

“I told him I wanted you to myself for the evening.”

Silver grins and inches closer.

_ Just me? _ He mouths. Flint nods, his eyes glued to Silver’s lips. 

Silver smile wider and closes the gap between them.

***

The next time he sees Max, she’s on Jack Rackham’s boat. Silver reaches into his pocket where he always keeps a pencil and some scrap paper and asks what her brings her to the sea.

“Anne Bonny,” She replies simply. Silver looks at her, then at her expression, which is soft and tender and directed at one of the most fearsome women he knows. He puts two and two together and nods, updating that mental note.

***

It’s foggy out. The huge clouds roll off of the waves and obscure the front of the ship. Silver stands outside the captain’s cabin, his hands on the rails. He glances down, making sure his sword is still attached to his side. 

Madi has called for him to sail to her aid, liberating the final plantation on Nassau. They’ve hidden themselves behind her army, and  _ The Ghost _ is arriving with reinforcements from Maroon Island. They hardly need reinforcements, but today is about sending a message.

It’s his first time returning to battle since retiring. He’s not planning on leaving the boat, because his appearance will be enough. 

He feels like a ghost. The clothes he’s wearing are stained with his blood from the attack. He’s painted his neck red and cut the left leg from his pants so there’s no mistaking his identity. 

Flint is at his side, his arms folded behind his back. They watch as the men prepare for battle, occasionally looking up at them and whispering.

“This is dangerous weather,” Flint tells him. “Anyone can pop out of the clouds and attack.”

_ Like us? _ Silver replies. 

“I suppose you could say that,” Flint agrees. “I would not like to be on land when they see you.”

_ Me either _ . He smiles slightly. He hasn’t missed piracy, but it’s nice to sail. He’s spent so long on Nassau that the change in scenery is refreshing, even if it is impossible to see more than thirty feet in front of him and they’re still off the coast of the island.

As the revolution has grown, he’s been living in Miranda’s house. As predicted, it is the hub of communication for Flint and Madi. It’s given Silver a chance to learn that he’s actually quite good at maintaining a garden, and he’s beginning to think that he could become a farmer when they leave. 

He’s not sure when that will be, but Thomas has been hinting at it too, so he knows it’s coming soon. Thomas wants to open a book shop, but Silver’s going to leave that to him. They’re talking about going north, where the colder weather will allow Silver to wear clothes that cover the scar on his neck without drawing too much attention to himself. 

The sound of fighting grows louder. 

“Ready?” Flint asks him. 

The clouds begin to part. 

Silver puts his hand on his sword. The men on deck notice the change and start looking to him. 

The fog lifts, and a battlefield appears before them. The opposition is badly outnumbered.

Silver lifts the sword high above his head, and points it forward. 

The men charge.

***

That evening, Nassau is liberated. When Flint and Silver greet Madi, she is exhausted but victorious. She’s already planning the next move, the outreach to surrounding islands, and doesn’t stay for long. 

Before she goes, she kisses Silver on the cheek and thanks him for coming back.

“You should hear the things they’re saying about your ghost,” She tells him. “Did you know that when he attacked today, he brought the sky with him?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading, I'm bad-luck-blue-eyes on tumblr.


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